An Unexpected Legacy
by RedHeadedBelle
Summary: Bella heads to Port Angeles with Charlie and is attacked by a familiar face. How will Charlie, Edward and the Cullens react? What will Bella choose? Will she learn to accept the consequence of another man's actions? Can she learn to love herself again? R
1. Bonding

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters!! They all belong to the wonderfully talented Stephenie Meyer, who is a total beast! so don't sue me. geeze. **

**ENJOY!!**

**Chapter One -Bonding-**

I woke up to the incessant buzzing of the lime green cell phone that was on the nightstand next to my bed; a gift from Edward so I could easily reach him during his hunting trips. Feeling around for it without opening my eyes, I silently cursed the stupid phone with the ridiculously loud vibrate setting. i mean, it was the weekend for goodness' sake. couldn't I sleep in until 10:30?

"Hi Bella!!" The amount of enthusiasm in her voice was horrific. I don't care if she can sleep or not. No one should be so chipper at 6:00 in the morning.

"Alice... Is there a good reason why you called me at SIX IN THE FREAKING MORNING??"

Alice laughed.

"Geeze Bella, you're a total grump in the morning! And of course I have a good reason to be calling you at six in the morning! I need you to go to Port Angeles today"

That surprised me.

"What am I doing in Port Angeles?"

Usually Alice ran all the errands herself, seeing how she didn't have to sleep, AND she had super-fantastic-vampire-speed. In fact, she had run ALL the errands so far, and there were only two weeks until the wedding. I sighed, guessing it was finally time to put in some work for Alice.

"All you need to do is pick up a few things for me"

Hmmm... a few things with Alice is never really 'a few.'

"Alright Alice. I give. What do I need to pick up for you?" I figured I might as well get this done and over with.

"Yay! Thanks Bella!" "You're gonna need a pencil and paper to write all this down!"

I got each and sat down, ready to write. "You'll need to pick up the bowls for the centerpieces at Pier 1, the napkin holders for the wedding party at World Market, the new Taylor Swift CD, the new Tim McGraw Greatest Hits CD pack, the new Garth Brooks Greatest Hits CD pack, and last, but definitely not least, I want you to pick up this new book that came out. Some girl wrote it, Stephenie Mayer, or Meyer, or something like that. but supposedly it's pretty good"

I laughed.

"Alice, don't you know how its going to end anyways"

"Well, yeah... I just don't want to miss out on a good piece of literature, whether i know how it ends or not. so get to it!!"

I was surprised. my list wasn't too bad.

"Um, Alice?"

"Yeah, Bella?" "Why am I buying Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, AND Garth Brooks Cd's??"

I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Taylor Swift. It just seemed like a country music overload to me.

"Oh! well, you know Jasper just loves country. I think its on account of him being a southern gentleman and all. plus Bella, i think you'd like the Cd's. Later today when you come over after your run to Port Angeles, I'll just burn you some copies! Trust me! You'll like them!" I chuckled. I'd learned not bet against Alice, and i wasn't going to start now.

"Alright Alice. If that's all, I'm gonna get up and ready to leave."

"Wait Bella, before you hang up," she paused, trying to find the right words to say. "I think it would probably be a good thing if Charlie went with you. So you can spend some Father/Daughter time together. Before the big day"

We both knew that she wasn't referring to my wedding. In two weeks i would become a wife. in less than two months, i would become, as far as Edward was concerned, one of the damned.

"Alright Alice. I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. Thank you"

She chirped a final "Be safe!" and blew a kiss into the phone and was gone. I slid my phone open and started to type Edward a message on the keyboard.

_Good morning love! I'm heading off to P.A. with Charlie. I should be back and at your house by noon, just in time to welcome you home from your hunting trip. I'll try to pretend I'm not counting the minutes until i see you again. Love, me._

I knew Edward was off hunting, but I couldn't resist sending him a text. He could just answer me back when he was headed home. Besides, now that the miraculous world of technology had been introduced to me, I couldn't help but use it every chance I got! Texting was especially addictive.

**An hour and fifteen minutes later...**

"Charlie!! HURRY UP!!"

I sat in the driver's seat of my truck, glaring at the front door to the house. Charlie had spent the last 15 minutes PRIMPING himself. When i had told him the plans for the day, Charlie had looked conflicted. Apparently he had planned to visit Sue Clearwater this morning. Not wanting to deprive him of an opportunity to see his lady love. Sue and Dad had just started out with friendly visits; Dad was always going to check up on her since Harry's death and since she seemed to be having trouble with her two werewolf children, Seth and Leah, not that Charlie knew about the wolf part. Eventually, they had moved on to lunch dates, and were steadily progressing. Sue had even come to visit Charlie at the station one afternoon, Starbucks and a sack lunch in hand. I pulled out my phone to let Alice know what was happening.

_Charlie wants to stop by the Clearwater's before heading off._

I received a quick reply.

_Alright. Keep me updated! i know how much you love to text people now!_

I laughed. She was completely right.

Finally i saw movement at the door. Charlie locked the deadbolt and walked the short distance to my truck quickly, as though trying to make up for the time he had lost primping himself. I started the engine and flipped on the radio, waiting for Charlie to put on his seat belt before i pulled out of the drive. Charlie looked nervous. He was red from the neck up, and i could see beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead and upper lip. Even his ears were beginning to turn pink.

"So Dad..." i said, casually, "How have you and Sue been getting along?" I tried to keep the laughter out of my voice.

"Fine, just fine. I'm gonna turn on the radio. I want to listen to some music. Do you want to listen to some music?" Charlie flipped the switch before i had a chance to answer, searching through the channels until I heard a song i recognized.

"Hey! Leave it on this one!!" I started to sing along to the song,

_"APPLE BOTTOM JEANS, AND THE BOOTS WITH THE FUR! with the fur!"_

My old gym teacher had always kept the radio on while we were running laps around the gym, and this song always played. I knew the choruses by heart.

"Uh, Bella... Do you know what this song is even about?" Charlie was glancing my way; he had the look of parent who had just caught their child making out on the living room couch.

"Ummm..." i stalled, suddenly not certain " Dancing?" Charlie sighed

"Not exactly Bells. Just forget I asked." He turned his head once more, looking out the window as i drove to the reservation, one side view of the towering cliffs above, the other of the ocean. We were close now.

"Aw, now Dad, that's not fair. Now I'm curious. What's the song about?" Charlie sighed, deliberating on whether or not he should tell me.

"Well... Its..." he started, not quite knowing how to put his thoughts into words, He looked so uncomfortable. Whatever he was going to say was NOT gonna be good.

"Spit it out Dad".

He braced himself, shutting his eyes so he didn't have to look at me.

"Its about that girl 'going down' on that guy!" he almost yelled, quick and fast, trying to get the words out as if they might soil his mouth.

"Oh"

Charlie glanced at me, one eye opened. Clearly this wasn't the reaction he was expecting. I turned the radio to search through more stations before finally resting on a song that I liked. "Realize" by Colbie Caillat. Just before the song was through i turned to Charlie.

"Um, Dad?"

"Yeah Bells"

I hesitated, not sure if I really wanted to know the answer to my unasked question.

"What exactly does that mean? 'Going down' on someone." Charlie paused a second and then chuckled to himself.

"What does it sound like it means Bella? Think literally"

So i did.

And it clicked.

"OH MY GOSH!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! AAAAHHHH!!" Charlie just let out a laugh at my sudden epiphany.

"Wait a sec, Charlie, how do you know all this?" After all, wasn't I supposed to be filling him in on the teen lingo, not the other way around?

Charlie blushed yet again and turned the volume on the radio up, blaring Shania Twain in the tiny cab. "Shh!! I like this song!" I laughed and decided that I didn't really want to know.

I was definitely going to miss Charlie, so much that it hurt. As I looked at him, trying to hide the fact that he was singing along to Shania, i didn't know how I could ever choose to leave him. But then I saw _his_ face in my mind. The pain of losing Charlie would never compare to the pain of losing Edward. He was my other half, my soul mate, even if he wasn't sure if he had a soul or not. I turned the volume up even louder and joined in with Charlie, my timid alto harmonizing with his deep baritone.

_"Who's bed have your boots been under?? And who's heart did you steal, i wonder? This time it feel like thunder baby! Well who's bed have your boots been under?"_

* * *

**A/N: OK!! so this is my first real story!! i have a few more chapters all written out in my head, so if you like the first chapter, PLEASE REVIEW!! that way, i'll know i'm actually writing for people!! **

**anyways, the conversation between Bella and Charlie in her truck totally happened between me and my dad, except he wasn't quite so awkward about it lol... i thought it would be funny to see how charlie would react! **

**NEXT CHAPTER: THE CLEARWATER'S HOUSE! **

**PLEASE REVIEW PEOPLE!!**

**thanks! **

**RedHeadedBelle**


	2. Missing

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters!! They all belong to the wonderfully talented Stephenie Meyer, who is a total beast! so don't sue me. geeze. **

**Chapter Two**

**-Missing-**

Charlie was standing on the front step of the Clearwater's home, his fist poised to knock on the door when the door abruptly opened. Sue stood in the doorway, already dressed in a dark purple blouse and blue jeans, looking quite surprised to see us. "Charlie!" she exclaimed, "I wasn't expecting to see you so early!"

Charlie mumbled something incoherently, forcing me to answer Sue.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Clearwater, I forced him to join me on some last minute errands to Port Angeles. He wanted to stop by before we left."

"Oh, well come in then, come in." She waved us through the doorway, pausing to brush Charlie's cheek as he passed, and enveloping me into a warm hug. I could smell her scent, warm and earthy, similar to Jacob's. I felt a faint pang of hurt in my chest at the thought of his name.

"Bella, please call me Sue. You're making me feel old." She smiled beautifully, and led us into the kitchen.

"Are you two hungry? We have pancakes, waffles, muffins, bacon and sausage, eggs, french toast, quiche..." she trailed off as she looked through the fridge, hunting for food.

Charlie grabbed a muffin off the counter, and quickly devoured half of it. I suppresed a laugh. Sue sure knew the way to Charlie's heart: through his stomach.

"It looks like you've got enough food to feed an army here, Sue." He gestured at the kitchen table we were sitting at which was filled with breakfast items, as well as the countertops and open pantry and fridge.

Sue quickly looked away from his gaze.

"The kids are having a sort of... get-together... in the dining room right now. You know how kids are, they'll eat you out of house and home." I could hear faint voices on the other side of the room, behind the door that led to the dining room. Sue gave us a quick smile, but could see the hidden apprehension in her eyes. Something was wrong. She saw my expression.

"Are you hungry Bella? We have plenty of food..." She was trying to change the subject. I raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what she was hiding. She shook her head at me slightly, a warning to leave it alone. I followed her lead, taking a poptart off the table. I could hear the voices getting louder, closer to the door. The meeting was ending.

Charlie had finished his muffin, and had grabbed some eggs and bacon.

"Sue, I'm sorry we can't stay longer..." He really did look disappointed, and I felt a twang of guilt for taking away their personal time.

"You know what, Dad, why don't we bring her along? I mean, if she wants to go..."

Their faces simultaneously brightened.

"I'll just grab my purse and jacket. They were talking about rain today." Sue got up from the kitchen table to go to her bedroom, and as soon as she was out of sight, the dining room door opened, spilling out two humongous teenage boys, their gazes locked on the food.

"Hey Bella!" Embry called through an enormous mouthful of eggs.

"Stop talking with your mouth full, you idiot!" Quil clapped him on the back, making him spray eggs onto the kitchen floor.

"Hey! You better sweep that mess up!" Leah's sharp voice carried across the room as she walked into the kitchen with powerful yet graceful strides. Her beautiful face, so like that of her mother's and Emily's, was contorted into a mask of disgust and revulsion at her pack brothers, and if possible, twisted even worse once she spotted Charlie and me sitting at her kitchen table.

"Sorry Leah," Quil and Embry mumbed together, reaching into the closet for a broom and dustpan to clean up their mess.

"Good Morning, Leah!" Charlie called to her brightly, still enthused by Sue's agreement to join us today, not even noticing the scowl on her face.

Leah nodded to us in turn, giving us the most non-commital greeting she could manage.

"Charlie. Bella."

Seconds later, a huge blur bounded into the kitchen and pulled me into a rough hug. I heard laughter from across the room and recognized Jared's voice. "Seth! Don't strangle the poor girl! We already have problems keeping her alive as it is!" Seth loosened his grip on me and I took a quick glance at Charlie, worried that he had heard Jared's comment. I didn't have to worry; he was still enthralled in his second plateful of breakfast.

"Bella!! How've you been??" Seth Clearwater looked down into my face from his enormous height, a bright smile on his face, reminiscent of a young Jacob Black. I felt another faint tugging of pain inside my chest. I looked around for the source of the pain, but I didn't see him. Maybe he was still in the dining room with Sam and Paul.

"Not too bad. How are you doing, Seth?" I could see a glimmer of stress and worry in his eyes as he searched for the right words to answer with.

"I'm surviving."

"Good." I was still looking around. Paul walked out of the room with Sam close behind him. Paul gave me a quick glance, waved a farewell to his comrades, and left the house. I sighed. Some things will never change.

"Where is he, Seth?" He knew who I was talking about. It almost hurt to say his name.

"Bella, can I talk to you outside for a minute?" I nodded and he led me to the front porch and onto the porch swing.

He let out a sigh.

"Bella, you haven't heard from Jacob in awhile, have you?" I shook my head, the hurt growing more pronounced. I was pretty sure Jake was avoiding me after our talk the other afternoon. I couldn't blame him. If I had been in his position, I would've hated me too.

"Jacob's gone missing."

I gasped.

"What?! How can Jake go missing? Don't you guys have that little mind thing going on, or something? How can you not know where he's at??" I was almost hysterical.

"Bella, he's too far away for most of us to hear. I'm the only one who has even made contact with him, and that was only for a minute or two." He looked at me, worried about what he was going to say next.

"I don't think he wants to be found."

I curled my arms around my stomach, trying to hold in the hurt. He didn't want to be found. Because of me. Its all my fault. He doesn't want to be found because of me.

"He left the day he got your wedding invitation in the mail. He shifted and hasn't shifted back."

"Do you know where he is?" my voice was weak as I tried not to cry. I wasn't going to break the vow I had made to myself. I wasn't going to cry over this boy anymore.

"Somewhere North. I can't be sure, but I think he's somewhere in Canada."

"Canada," I repeated. He had fled to Canada to stay away from me. I couldn't find it in my hurting heart to be mad at him. I had chosen someone else. I was a traitor to him.

"Bella, don't blame yourself." Seth patted my shoulder comfortingly. "He just had to get away for awhile, its no big deal."

"AWHILE?? AWHILE, SETH CLEARWATER?? HE'S BEEN GONE FOR ALMOST A MONTH!!" Now I was in hysterics, and I was almost screaming at the rather shocked boy next to me.

The front door opened and Charlie, Sue, and Sam walked out.

"Bella, are you alright??" Charlie looked at me, looking concerned for my sanity.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be there in a second, go ahead and wait in the truck."

Charlie looked me over a last time and led Sue down the walk to the driveway. Sam came over and kneeled next to us.

"You told her?" Sam asked Seth.

"Yeah." Seth made a move to let go of my shoulders. I hadn't even realized he had grabbed them. I was shaking, shaking from the effort of not crying, and from anger. Anger at myself.

"Bella, don't worry about Jacob. He's a big boy, he can handle it." Sam stood up and gave me a quick pat on the shoulder before walking across the road into the woods.

"I just want to know he's okay." I whispered to Seth. I was coming so close to breaking the promise to myself.

"If you want, Bella, you could come back sometime and I'll try to reach him with you with me. Does that sound alright?" He bent down to look into my face.

I nodded and tried to smile at him. He was a really great kid.

"Alright." He fave me one last hug before getting up to his feet. "Tell Edward I said 'Hi' will you?"

I nodded.

"Okay. Bye Bells." He gave his mom one last wave before heading inside.

I sniffed and grabbed my jacked before heading to my truck. I was still a little bit shakey, but I was pretty sure I was okay to drive. I was about to open my door when I saw that Charlie and Sue were sitting pretty close. Okay, I take that back. They were VERY close.

I opened my door with a clang, and they instantly broke apart, looking quite flustered.

"Oh! Bella, you're here!" Sue was trying to rearrange her clothing without without me noticing, and she was failing considerably.

_Way to go Charlie!_ I thought, before I realized something.

My dad and his girlfriend had gone farther than me and my fiancee had, in my own vehicle. Charlie's face was beet red as I turned the key in the ignition and started off to Port Angeles.

Sometimes, life is SO unfair.


	3. The Hunted

Chapter Three

- The Hunted-

**A/N: I do not own any of these characters, or the books The Host, Thorn in my Heart, Atonement Child, or Beauty. Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift are freaking amazing. No lie. I'm sorry if you don't like country music, I do, and I wanted to use some in the plot.**

"Alright Bells, you can drop us off here." Charlie and Sue slid out of the confines of the truck cab onto the sidewalk in front of the cinema, and waved me a goodbye as I pulled away from the curb.

That trip had been interesting. Charlie hadn't looked at me once during the trip down, probably because he was mortified that his own daughter had caught him making out with his girlfriend in her truck. Instead he had just looked out the window, or commented on the weather, saying it looked like rain. Sue on the other hand was very talkative, asking me how the wedding plans were coming along, what I was planning on picking up today, how Renee' and Phil were doing, and where Edward and I were going for our honeymoon. She also told me that she had gotten my wedding invitation in the mail, and that she, Seth, and Leah were all looking forward to coming. Somehow, I didn't believe the last bit about Leah.

I was glad my dad had found her, she was everything he needed: outgoing, accommodating, friendly, and easy going. She would make it a lot easier for him to deal with my impending demise, sooner or later.

I turned into the parking lot of Pier One and parked in the front row of the emptying parking lot, grabbed my purse and walked inside. I was greeted by a pretty blond woman, Lula, I read on her name tag who was fixing the window display.

"Hello, ma'am, may I help you?" She walked over, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Hi, I'm here for a pick up," I pointed at one of the small glass bowls that she had been rearranging, "I'm supposed to be picking up some of those."

"Ahh... you're the one we've been waiting for." She glided over to the front desk and pulled out a clipboard, flipping through some pages. "You must be Miss Cullen." Her eyes slid over to my left hand, taking in the delicate ring on my third finger. "I'm apologize, Mrs. Cullen."

"Almost." I smiled. "Only two weeks to go. Please, call me Bella."

She returned the smile. "Alright, if you could follow me, I'll help you load the boxes. She led me to the back of the store. I gasped.

"Oh my God." There were at least three shopping carts full of the little glass bowls. Alice had completely outdone herself.

It took about 45 minutes to load the boxes, making sure that they couldn't wiggle around while I drove and break. I waved goodbye to Lula and headed off in the direction of my second destination, Barnes and Noble.

* * *

The bookstore was slowing down, people were leaving left and right as the sky began to turn an ominous shade of grayish-black. First I grabbed a copy of '_The Host_' at the front of the store before wandering around for a bit. I ambled my way down the aisles, pausing every now and then to pick up a book and read the synopsis on the cover jacket. I picked a few novels, one from Liz Curtis Higgs entitled '_Thorn in my Heart_', one from Robing McKinley titled '_Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast_', '_Journey to the Center of the Earth_' by Jules Verne, and '_Atonement Child_' by Francine Rivers. I put the books into my basket and headed over to the media center to look for the Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks Cd's. This section of the store was the only area I had seen other people besides the employees. There was a tall, blond, and balding man looking through the bluegrass section, a short brunette lady in a red dress suit looking through the movie soundtracks, and a stocky muscular man, who was almost as big as Emmett, in a green sock cap looking through 80's music. I found the needed Cd's in the new release section, and grabbed a copy of each, and dropped them in the basket. The man in the green hat looked over at the clatter they made, looked me over and winked.

I blushed furiously, and nearly tripped on my way to the checkout. I went over to the first cashier I saw, a little old lady in a light blue crocheted shawl and handed her my basket.

"Hello dear, did you find everything alright?" She smiled at my brightly as she started scanning my items.

"Yes, thank you." I silently wished she would scan the items faster; the stocky man had followed me and was right behind me in line. I could feel his eyes on my body, and it was making extremely uncomfortable.

"Do you have a Barnes and Noble membership card?" I fished through my wallet, pulling out the card, and glanced over my shoulder. The man was still there. He smiled at me again. I looked away.

She scanned my card, ever so slowly, told me my final amount, and took the cash I gave her. Finally, she put my items in a bag with the receipt, and handed me my things.

"Here you go dear. Have a good day." I went to grab my bag with my left hand, which was a complete mistake. The lady, Camilla by her name tag, had gasped as soon as she saw my ring.

I internally sighed, this was the universal reaction to seeing my engagement ring. Everyone from Charlie and Sue to Angela and Ben had all been impressed. Not that I minded.

"Look at that rock!" She pulled my hand closer for a better look. "I take that back. Look at those rocks!" I flushed with embarrassed pleasure. "You can't be more than 19. How long have you been married, honey?"

"I'm 18, actually," I was rather touchy about my ever increasing age. "I'll be married in two weeks." Two excruciatingly long weeks.

"Congratulations dear," She released my hand with a gentle pat and waved a goodbye. I returned the wave and cautioned a last glance at the man behind me. He was gone.

I quickly went to World Market to grab the napkin holders and left, heading to _La Bella Italia_ for lunch. The hostess looked familiar, with black hair to her shoulders and blue eyes. I read her name tag, Amber. It clicked. She had been the server a year and a half ago, the first time Edward and I had been to _La Bella Italia. _

"Hello, how may I help you?"

"I'd like a table for one." She made a mark on her clipboard and led me to a booth in the back of the restaurant, the same exact one I had sat in with Edward after he had rescued me.

"Is this one alright?" She smiled at me warmly.

"Its just fine, thank you." I placed my bags on the bench opposite me, and slid into the booth. I couldn't help myself.

"You don't remember me, do you?" She looked confused. "I came in here about a year and a half ago with another person, and we sat in this exact booth. You were our waitress." She still didn't remember me. I sighed.

"The man I was with had bronze hair, golden eyes, really tall, and really pale." My description wasn't remotely close to giving him justice, and I knew it. Surprisingly, even with my horrible description, she remembered Edward.

"Oh yeah! He didn't order anything, did he." I shook my head. "Will he be joining you?" She looked around the room hopefully.  
"No, he's not with me today."

"Oh. Are you two not together anymore?" She was blunt.

"Actually, we're getting married in two weeks." For the first time since I'd agreed to wear my ring, I flaunted it, waving it in front of her face and wiggling my fingers. All hope disappeared from her face.

"Oh. Your server will be here in a moment. Enjoy your meal." She stalked off in a huff, and I couldn't help but laugh. Maybe this engagement thing wasn't so bad after all...

* * *

By the time I finished my mushroom ravioli and coke, the sky had turned black with clouds and it was starting to rain. I quickly paid the bill and left, the rain immediately soaking through my black shirt and jeans. I jogged as quickly could to my truck, but it was still several blocks down. I slowed to a walk, since I was already soaking wet, and took in my surroundings. The mall was quiet; way too quiet. I couldn't see anyone outside, let alone in the stores since the rain was so blinding. I didn't like the silence, it was too open, and it was making me too vulnerable. I just kept walking to my truck, too scared to look behind me, always looking ahead. I really wanted to call Edward; just hearing his voice would calm me instantly, but I was afraid that the rain would break my phone.

I heard a crunch of gravel behind me, barely audible beneath the pounding of the rain on the pavement. I started walking faster. I knew someone was behind me. My truck was only a block away. I heard footsteps on the ground. They were getting closer. I broke into a run, pulling my keys out of my pocket. I couldn't think of anything else, other than _get to the truck get to the truck get to the truck. _Why did stuff like this always happen to me while in Port Angeles??

I skidded to a halt, almost hitting the truck. I fumbled with the keys, dropping them once and stooping to pick them up. I stood up with the right key ready, unlocked my door and was about to hop inside when I was hit in the back of the head, knocking me to the ground.

Laying there on the ground, I tried to fight to keep my eyes open, knowing that might be the last time I would ever open them again, but I was slowly losing.

Before they closed, I saw the color green.

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update guys!! i've been super busy with camp and enrollment at a new school, and whenever i sat down to write, i kept getting distracted!! Sorry!! Anyways, so i'm sorry that this chapter was kinda boring, i just needed a transition for the next scene, which will hopefully be WAY MORE exciting!! **

**now, about reviews, i saw that i have 120+ hits, but no reviews! come on people! i need some input! please? pretty please?? :)**

**i want to know that someone actually likes what i'm writing, besides me! you know what i'm sayin? anyways, i'm gonna try to update tomorrow or the next day, so keep reading! **

**RedHeadedBelle**


	4. Confusion

**Disclaimer: None of these characters really belong to me. So don't sue. Thanks!**

**P.S. Italics in this chapter usually tell us what Charlie is thinking. Just thought I'd give you a heads up, so nobody got confused. **

* * *

Chapter Four

Confusion

**Carver Cafe, Port Angeles**

"She was supposed to be here an hour ago!" I was pacing back and forth in the nearly empty cafe with Sue. "I'm going to go out and look for her." I grabbed my jacket and made to leave, but Sue grabbed my arm.

"Charlie, you won't be able to find her. Its as black as pitch out there, you'll get yourself lost." She was worried, I could tell, but it didn't matter. Someone had to find Bella.

There was a flurry of tinkling bells as two teenagers, a boy and a girl, walked in and, after spotting us, walked straight towards us. I gaped in surprise as I saw it was Seth and Leah Clearwater.

"Mom, we've looked everywhere, and we can't find her. The rain has washed away the scent, we can't even smell _their_ scent on her, even when we've phased." Leah looked more irritated than usual, which was really unnerving. _Wait, who's the her that they're talking about? Were they talking about Bella?_

"What about Sam and Embry? Have they had any luck?" Sue didn't look surprised to see them at all.

"None. We're all in the same boat. None of us can smell her scent," _Smell her scent? _"Even Seth can't and he's the one who's most accustomed to her." Leah added in a disparaging tone.

"Wait, what's going on here?" All three of them ignored me.

"Mom," Seth broke in, looking uncomfortable, "I have an idea." He took a swift glance at me before going on. "I think we should call _them_."

"Them? Who is them?" Again, I was ignored.

"You have got to be kidding me, Seth." Leah was incredulous. "We can handle this ourselves. She was on our watch, we'll find her."

"Yeah, she was on our watch, and look what happened! She's out there somewhere, in the pitch black rain with God-knows-what!" Leah shivered. "Who knows what could've happened to her. Didn't you see her truck? All of her bags were in there, but not her. Something is wrong here. I'm not going to wait until its too late to call them." Seth walked off to the back of the store, pulling a lime green phone out of the pocket of his jeans.

"Why do you have Bella's phone?" I made to follow Seth, but Sue stopped me by grabbing my arm.

"Charlie, you should sit down now. Everything is going to be fine." She sat me down, trying to sooth me with her voice, and rubbing circles on my back.

"What's going on here Sue? Why does Seth have Bella's phone? Who is it that they can't find? Is it Bella? Why are Seth and Leah even here? And who was the '_them_' that Seth was talking about?" I had no idea what to think. Everybody was being so... mysterious!

"Seth and Leah followed us here today, to make sure that Bella didn't get into any trouble." Sue stopped, carefully, choosing her words.

"Why would Seth and Leah need to make sure Bella doesn't get into any trouble??" Sure, Bells was clumsy and stuff, but other than tripping every so often, and that once incident with the stairs in Phoenix, Bella had always been pretty safe.

"Edward asked Seth to keep an eye on Bella while he was away. Seth's been keeping tabs on her, every time he's been gone away." I mentally counted the times Edward had been away in the past two months, on family trips as Bella had told me, and was shocked.

"So you're telling me that Seth has been following Bella around, every other week for the past two months? Does Bella know this?"

Sue looked trapped.

"Well, not exactly. Let's just say that Seth, and Leah for that matter, are very good at staying hidden when they want to be."

"Are you going to tell me what's going on here, Sue, or do I have to figure it out on my own?" She sighed, and looked over to Leah, who was leaning against the wall, looking at her fingernails.

"You might as well tell him mom, he'll need to know soon enough." She scowled at her mother.

"What do you mean by that?" I still didn't get it.

Leah snorted.

"Yeah, I wonder how you two can possibly think that you can keep from all three of us," _and by three I assumed she meant Bella, Seth, and herself,_ "that you two are engaged?"

Sue gasped, audibly demonstrating my own shock. How did she know? Sue caught my eye and shook her head. She hadn't told anyone of our plans yet.

Leah chuckled darkly, but stopped when she saw Seth walking back towards us, his expression hard.

"He's coming. Leah, you need to meet up with the others down by her truck. Tell Sam that I'll meet him a few blocks down, over by Sheridan's. He and I are the only ones that need to be here when Edward gets here."

The name sent my head spinning.

"What does Edward have to do with this? Is he the one that took Bella? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" All three of them looked at me, shocked expressions on their faces.

"Charlie, dear, I'll explain everything to you later, seeing as now is definitely not the best time. Alright?" She put her hand to my cheek, and I couldn't help but calm down. This woman was way too good to me.

"Alright. What do I do now?" I asked Seth and Leah.

"Just stay here, Charlie, and wait for one of us to come and get you. It could be me or Sam, or it could be Edward. He should be here soon." Seth started pulling off his shirt, but was interrupted.

"Hey YOU!" We all looked over to the back of the cafe, to see the manager pointing at Seth, "No shirt, no service!" Seth laughed before pulling his shirt completely off and handing it to his mother.

"Can you hold this? I don't wanna ruin it, you know its my favorite." He was just about to leave before he remembered something.

"Charlie, you should probably keep this, seeing as you don't have your own." He handed me Bella's cell.

"We'll be in touch." He gave a quick wink at his mom before he and Leah headed out into the rain, disappearing instantly. I saw a shred of what looked like the dark denim of Seth's jeans hit the window. Sue sighed.

"That's his third pair this week. I swear. Forget about those kids eating me out of house and home. If they continue like this, I'll make them go around naked."

She sat down, and I followed her lead, waiting for someone, something, to give me some hope.

* * *

**Abandoned Warehouse, Just south of Port Angeles**

I groaned. My head hurt like hell, and I was extremely uncomfortable. I tried to sit up, but failed, the pain in my head drawing me back toward the floor. I cautiously opened one eye, trying to take in my surroundings. It was too dark to make out anything, except shapes. I could hear the storm outside, whistling around, and the rain pounding on what sounded like a metal roof. I had no idea where I was. I heard scratching just by my head. I looked over and screamed, causing the rat that had been two inches away from my face to scramble away, underneath a shelf full of what seemed to be rather large crates.

I heard voices in the next room, and footsteps, drawing closer from in front of me. There was a tremendous rattling sound and a huge metal door scraped to the side, blinding me with sudden light from another room.

"Well well well, look who's finally awake." The footsteps were drawing closer, and soon they were just a foot away. I didn't want to open my eyes, I was too scared. The man who had spoken knelt down, gently taking my face in his hand, bringing my face closer to his own, before forcing his mouth down upon mine. I tried to wrench free from him, but he was too strong. He tried to open my mouth with his tongue, and I was too weak from being unconscious for so long I couldn't resist him. Instead, I bit down on it, and he let out a holler.

"You bitch!" He slapped me across the face, and the sheer force of it knocked my eyes open.

"Hey! Stop that!" Another voice, coming from the same direction that this man had come from called out. Maybe he would save me.

"She bit me Amos!" The wounded man's speech was impaired. His tongue sounded swollen! If I hadn't been so frightened, I would have smiled at my small victory.

"Maybe you shouldn't have been sticking your tongue in places where it don't belong!" Amos walked over to me, pulling my chin up to look at me. I shrank away. This man wasn't here to help me. He was friends with swollen-tongue-man.

"Don't shy away from me, honey." He grabbed me, harder than before to look at me, running his hands down my body, feeling me through my sodden clothes.

"Please..." my tongue could hardly form the words. "Please don't. Please stop..." I was crying now, my sobs shaking my shivering body.

"Stop?" the man chuckled. "_Darlin_, we haven't even started yet."

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was surprisingly easy to write, and I think its the best one i've done so far. Please please PLEASE don't hate me for the end! I had to do a cliffie, otherwise this chapter would've been way too long. Next chapter is gonna be difficult, but I'll try my hardest to update as soon as I can. I want to get it as close to perfect as possible. SHOUTOUT TO Chris'girl6935 and debcripps for REVIEWING! YOU GUYS ROCK! **

**So, for all you other losers out there, REVIEW! Just kidding. You're all still amazing. But please review. **

**Ta Ta for now!**

**RedHeadedBelle**


	5. Pain

**A/N: I really hope that you guys don't hate me for this chapter... It was difficult to actually type this, and I hate myself for it, but its completely essential to the plot. So please don't hate me. And if you do hate me, review this chapter to let me know. :P anyways, I would ask you to enjoy this chapter, but I don't know if "enjoy" would be the right word to use in this case. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone except for Amos and the other guy. Who doesn't really have a name...haha. All the other characters belong to Stephenie Meyer who is a beast. Which is a good thing, if you didn't know. lol**

**

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****Chapter Five**

**-Pain-**

**Abandoned Warehouse, Just south of Port Angeles. **

"_Please..." my tongue could hardly form the words. "Please don't. Please stop..." I was crying now, my sobs shaking my shivering body._

"_Stop?" the man chuckled. "Darlin, we haven't even started yet."_

I had no idea what I was in for. What were these men going to do to me?

I pulled away from him, and tried to scramble away from his grasp, but we all knew that my attempts at escape were futile. I heard their throaty laughs, but didn't care. If I was going to die tonight, I would die fighting.

They quickly overtook me with their long strides, and dragged me back to my previous position in the center of the room by my hair. My eyes smarted from the pain in my scalp.

"Now look here, Missy," Amos said, grabbing my forearm, "you need to behave yourself, or else I will _force _you to behave." He pushed me onto my back.

I snarled in his direction.

"Make me." I couldn't believe the words had come out of my mouth, but there they were, floating in the air between me and the two men.

"As you wish." Amos pointed the other man in the direction of the lighted room.

"Go get the ropes."

I spasmed in fear. Ropes?

Amos dragged me to one of the sets of shelves, while swollen-tongue-guy handed him the ropes. They were going to tie me to the shelves. I thrashed around, trying to loosen their grip on me, but before I could get away, Amos hit me square on the face with the back of his hand.

"SIT STILL!" He hit me again, just for good measure. I whimpered, gripped by fear and unable to move. I was going to die tonight. I was sure of it. Edward was too far away, having gone to Canada to hunt. He would never make it in time, even if he knew where I was, even with his maniac driving.

I sobbed silently as Amos finished tying my hands to the shelves, cursing him. What would Charlie think, finding his only daughter murdered and beaten to death? I shuddered at the thought.

"Shouldn't we hurry up and kill her? What if somebody finds us?" Even to me, the man's worries sounded stupid. Nobody would find us in this warehouse, especially with the storm raging outside like it did.

"Shut up you idiot, nobody is going to find us. Besides," Amos ran a hand through my barely damp hair, bringing it to his face and smelling it, "I want to have a little fun with her first."

They were going to rape me.

There was a flash of lightening and I saw my attacker's face for the first time. He was the dark man who had followed me the last time I was in Port Angeles, the one Edward had rescued me from.

I screamed, but my voice was drowned a boom of thunder. Amos laughed and hit me again, making me scream harder. I didn't want them to prolong the moment. _Let them kill me. Let them kill me now. Let them have their fun and kill me. I want to die. I don't want to be afraid anymore. Just let me die._

Amos stood, taking off his belt. I was still screaming. I couldn't stop.

"Boss, shouldn't you tape her mouth or something? She's making an awful racket." The man standing over to the side seemed worried.

"No. Nobody will hear her scream over the storm out there." He leaned down, taking my own belt off and unbuttoning my pants. "Besides, I want to hear her scream." I was numb. My whole body was tense, as if knowing what it was about to be put through, and my throat hurt from screaming for so long with such intensity. My voice gave out and I couldn't scream anymore.

"Please don't... please... don't..." I whispered. I knew it was pointless. Amos just continued stripping me of my clothes, pulling my jeans down to my ankles, unbuttoning my shirt to expose my white cotton bra. He ran his hand down the length of my body, from my temple to my ankle, and my body shivered in fear. He seemed to like that reaction.

There was a cough in the corner of the room.

"Leave us." Amos commanded in a harsh voice, his words heavy with desire.

"But Boss, I thought you said I would have my turn too!" The other man's tone was whiny and childish.

"LEAVE US!" Amos was angry now, and I knew he would take out his anger on me. "You'll get your turn when i'm through with her!" The other man shuffled off, leaving me and his 'boss' alone.

"Please, just let me go. Just let me go..." I had to try, one last time.

Amos chuckled.

"Not until i've had my fun with you." He ripped my panties down, and I could hear the tear of the fabric. His eyes roamed over my body, followed by his hands. My tears were becoming sobs now. He was touching me, more than Edward had ever touched me. If there was a God out there, like Carlisle believed, how could he let this happen?

Amos pushed my bra up to my armpits, releasing my breasts, and giving him access. He grabbed them hard, and started slapping me. He hit me everywhere, my face, my chest, my legs, anywhere he could reach. I was to the point where everything around me was swimming because of the pain. I couldn't take it anymore. I wished to be unconscious, but my body wasn't complying. I could hear his heavy breathing, quickening with excitement.

I felt his fingernails, tearing at my skin, along my arms, breasts and ribcage, my stomach, and finally to my folds, scratching and tearing. I screamed in pain.

"Does that hurt?" He started ripping at my skin, pausing for a moment to place himself at my entrance. "Well you ain't seen nothing yet." He thrust into me, hard and cruel, not even allowing my body to adjust. We screamed in unison, me from the burning pain, and him in pleasure. He thrust into me, fast and hard, his arms holding him up while his mouth attacked my body, biting anywhere he could reach. I couldn't register what was happening. My mind wouldn't let me take it all in. The burning pain was growing, and so were my screams. Instead of stopping, he seemed to get off on my pain. He cursed at me, calling me names, and yelling profanities, until finally, he climaxed sending himself over the edge. He collapsed on top of me and his weight knocked my body to the floor, sending my arm at a strange angle. I heard the bone break. I didn't care. I couldn't tell what was happening around me. This was a pain I had never known. My body couldn't even register it.

He pulled himself out of me and gathered his clothes, pulling his pants up, putting his belt on and shrugging into his jacket. He looked down at me once more, spitting in my face, and left the room, leaving me in the cold darkness, shivering in my half naked state.

The door squeaked open again. It was the other man, the whiny one who's tongue I had bitten.

"You're gonna be a good girl for me, aren't you?" He was taking off articles of clothing, obviously excited to begin hurting me.

I couldn't even make a sound.

"ANSWER ME!!" I tried to comply, but couldn't. Again, I wished for unconsciousness, and in response to my unspoken request, he hit me in the face, sending me over the edge into darkness.

I was cold, very cold. I could taste something on my lips, blood. I felt a shudder go through my body, an involuntary reaction to the chill. Quickly, yet gently, I felt myself being laid onto something soft, a bed. I barely noticed the difference. It all felt the same to me anyways. I couldn't open my eyes, one was swollen shut, and the other was glued shut, whether from blood or tears, I did not know. A sob racked through my body, causing it to painfully jolt.

"Shhh... Bella, you're going to be fine now. I'm here." I could hear sadness in the voice that I did not yet recognize... I was too tired. I could feel a cool hand trace along my cheekbone and even though I didn't want to be touched, I didn't have the strength to stop them. I was ruined. I never wanted another man to touch me, ever again. I was ruined. I was ruined for Edward. He would never want to touch me again. I let out another sob, and this time I didn't care how much it hurt me. The sobs were never ending, one after the other until finally, strong arms pulled me into their embrace, holding me close to a marble chest. I heard the cold someone holding me humming, and I could feel the vibrations in their chest. It was a simple enough melody, one I faintly recognized... I felt myself drifting back into the dark waters of sleep...

**

* * *

****A/N: PLEASE DON'T HATE ME FOR THIS!! I know that you guys probably all hate me for doing this to Bella, but please don't! This was planned from the very beginning... I even thought about going in a different direction, just to make you guys happy, but in the end, I figured I might as well go with the original plan, hoping you guys would eventually forgive me. **

**Liz16: I promise you WILL get your Edward SuperHero moment coming up very soon!! I promise!!**

**SHOUTOUTS: thank you debcripps, Chris'girl69, Liz16, pricel, Shekiah Rosay, Faerie of Murtagh, and anime123456781 for reviewing! You guys rock!! **

**also, thanks for your advice anime123456781! It really helped!**

**If you guys have any ideas for the story, or things that can help me make it even better for you guys, let me know by reviewing!! **

**or, if you guys just want to chew me out on how much you hate me because of this chapter, REVIEW! I'll try to answer every one of you back. Seriously. **

**So... **

**REVIEW! **

**Love love love, **

**RedHeadedBelle**


	6. Ruined

**A/N: Alright, I know its still early in the day, and I just posted chapter 5, but I figured since I left you guys with such a horrible scene, I figured I could somewhat make it up to you. So I gave you shirtless Edward. For those of you who mentally picture everything you read, as I do, I hope that makes you smile! :) Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. they all belong to the woman wonder, Stephenie Meyer! **

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**-Ruined-**

When I awoke, it was silent. There was no thunder or lightning, no rain pounding on the roof. I opened an eye, but my view of the room I was in was blocked by an expanse of chest, still and white.

"You're awake for real this time." Edward's musical voice played in my ear, his breathing tickling my skin, much like Amos' had the night before. I shivered in remembrance.

"Where am I?" my voice was hoarse from the screaming and sleep. Edward reached over to the nightstand to hand me a glass of water, sitting me up in the bed. We were in his own room, him on top of the golden covers, shirtless and in his jeans and socks, while I was covered from head to toe in flannel pajamas and blankets. I took the water he handed me and took a sip, coughing when it went down the wrong pipe.

"Slowly now, love." He put his arm around my waist, his free hand helping me to tilt my water glass. I was still so very weak. I could feel my right eye, swollen and black, barely able to open, along with the scratches up and down my body, and my left arm was encased in a cast from my upper arm and down to my hand, wrapping between my thumb and forefinger, leaving the rest of my hand exposed.

"Edward?" my voice sounded so timid and thin, he pulled me closer, as if trying to replete my strength with his own.

"Yes, my love?" His voice was drawn, careful, as if trying not to startle me.

"Where's my ring?" It had been on my left hand last night, but it wasn't there anymore. Had they taken it off to put the cast on?

He took my glass of water, setting it on the table beside him, and picked up my right hand, kissing each fingertip. I had yet to look at him, and I still couldn't bring myself to look at his beautiful face. Not like this. Not while I was marked by some other.

"They stole it, Bella." His words were simple enough, but I could feel the emotions behind them. I felt the hate he felt towards them for hurting me. I could feel the pain he felt at my own pain. I felt the anger at himself for not being there to rescue me. Lastly, I felt a mirror of my own pain, loss. The loss of my innocence.

He knew I was ruined, broken from someone else's careless use. He could probably still smell them on me.

I feebly pushed aside the covers, swinging my feet to the edge of the bed, onto the floor, hoping I had enough strength to make the short distance to our bathroom.

"Bella, what are you doing?" his voice was worried, his arms were outstretched towards me, trying to take me back.

"I'm going to take a shower." I grasped the headboard with my hands for leverage, there was no way I could make it to my feet without any kind of help.

"Bella, lay down. You're too weak." He walked over to my side of the bed.

"I need to take a shower!" I tried to shout, but my voice was so frail, it was barely a whisper.

I pulled myself to my feet and swayed on the spot for a second or two , before my knees gave out completely. Edward, of course, caught me before I hit the ground.

I started crying. I couldn't even stand on my own. I could feel every bruise on my body. Everywhere they had hit me was coming back to me, bringing a fresh wave of pain and tears. I felt so used.

"Bella, love, don't cry." His voice was soothing, almost comforting, but for the first time since I'd met him, it didn't phase me. I was too far gone.

"I need a shower, Edward. I need to be clean. Edward, I have to be clean. Please. I can smell them on me..." my voice trailed off, and Edward winced in pain. He could smell them too. He wrapped his arms around me tighter, protective gesture.

I pushed his hands away from me, and he recoiled, hurt. I couldn't have him touch me right now, not while I was tainted.

"Leave me alone! Don't touch me! I can't stand it if you touch me!" I was curled up on the floor, shouting as loudly as I could. I knew I was hurting him, but I almost didn't care. I was ruined for him. He shouldn't want me, ruined like I was. I didn't deserve his perfection.

He didn't seem to know what to do. He stood there, between me and the door, as if torn between the decision to take me into his arms and hold me again, or to run out of the room.

"Edward, go." Rosalie's voice, kind for the first time I met her, came from the door. "I'll help her bathe. Jasper and Carlisle are waiting for you downstairs." I felt her scoop me up off the floor and carry me into the bathroom, where she started the water, letting it fill the tub. I could smell my soap, freesias, being poured into the water, making bubbles pop up and fill the basin. Rosalie gently eased me out of my pajamas and undergarments, taking extra care not to linger on any scratch or bruise to avoid as much pain for me as possible. Her kindness brought tears to my eyes.

She placed my worn body into the bath, and I felt the sting as the clean water hit my scrapes and bruises, making me cry out.

"Shh... I know Bella. I know it hurts." She smoothed my hair, trying to calm me, and eventually, it worked.

She washed my hair gently, yet efficiently, and carefully dragged a washcloth along my body.

I let her bathe me, too tired to be embarrassed, and too weak to do it myself. Besides, she, Esme, and Alice had all helped me bathe last spring when I had broken my leg. She had seen it all before.

Once I was cleaned to her satisfaction, she lifted me out of the tub and produced a thick towel out of nowhere, wrapping me tightly in it. Cradling me in her strong arms, she held me like a baby into the bedroom, and placed me on the bed, and began rummaging through the drawers, trying to find me some clothes.

She quickly came back with some loose gray sweatpants and a hoodie, easing the pants onto my legs. At first I wondered why she hadn't given me any undergarments, but then I remembered the pain from inside the bathtub, and I knew it was to keep me comfortable until I had healed. She pulled my sweatshirt on, and tucked the covers in around me, placing the extra blankets onto my already hidden form.

"Bella?" her melodic voice seemed pained as she sat on the bed next to me, "I'm so sorry about what those... monsters... did to you." She smoothed her hand over my hair, brushing it out of my face, so I could look at her.

Her full lower lip was trembling, and there were lines of pain etched into her forehead. I was sure that if she had been able to cry, tears would've been streaming out onto her face.

"I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone, especially not my sister."

I remained silent and unmoving. For the first time, she had called me her sister. Is that what it took, to be raped and almost dead, for Rosalie to finally accept me into the family? I looked up into her face, silently, and felt ashamed for my thoughts. There was nothing but sympathy and an eagerness to comfort me there in her eyes. She was being genuine.

"You should get some sleep." She stood up, and crossed over the door, turning to me as she opened it. "Carlisle wants to check up on you soon. Do you want me to get Edward?" I shuddered at his name. I didn't think I could handle seeing him right now.

"Please don't leave me..." The request startled the both of us. Rosalie was the only one in this house who could possibly have an idea of the pain I felt, physically and emotionally.

Rosalie glanced at the door before heading back to me on the bed, and took me into her arms, rocking me slowly back and forth while the sobs rocked my body.

"We'll find them Bella. We'll make them pay. If Edward won't, then I will."

* * *

**A/N: so... how did you like it? I know that there wasn't a lot of Edward, but I figured after the trauma Bella just went through, she needed to ease into things. I tried to be really realistic, but seeing as how i've never been in a situation like this before, I could only do my best. **

**How did you like the Rosalie/Bella bonding time? Personally, I love Rosalie! She may be kind of a hootchie at some times, but she really does love her family, and I thought she would probably see a little bit of herself in Bella at this vulnerable time. Soo...**

**REVIEW and let me know what you think! **

**SHOUTOUTS: anime123456781 and Liz16 for being such awesome reviewers! **

**Keep reading everybody!! **

**RedHeadedBelle**


	7. Reactions

**A/N: So the response to that chapter was pretty great! I'm glad you guys liked the Bella & Rosalie time, and hopefully we might have some more in the future. I love Rosalie, even though she isn't as amazing as ALICE!! but then again, who is? **

**This chapter is gonna have an explanation as to some of the things that happened while Bella was out... AND this chapter is going to be in the POV of one of my FAVORITE Cullen's... so figure it out. It shouldn't be too hard. :)**

**Enjoy! **

**Chapter 7**

**- Reactions - **

**Dining Room, The Cullen Home**

I held my breath to keep my instincts in check., although the fact that Sue and Charlie absolutely reeked of werewolf helped to slightly curb my unquenchable thirst. They were the only two real humans here, besides Bella who was resting upstairs. They were sitting right across from me at the dining room table, Sue with her hand clasped tightly in Charlie's, the loved rolling off of them barely noticeable, drowned out with the worry that was enveloping all of us in the room, them, Emmett, Rosalie, and my beloved Alice.

Faintly, I heard Bella's voice from upstairs. Alice caught my eye with a sharp turn of her head.

"She's awake."

I nodded my head in confirmation.

"I'm going upstairs to see her." Charlie threw his coat onto the table in front of him, sliding the chair noisily across the wooden floors, prepared to go upstairs.

"I don't think now would be the best time, Charlie." She threw a quick glance my way, and I obliged, sending a wave of calm over him. He looked confused at the alien feelings I had sent his way.  
"Bella's very tired, it might be awhile before she can have any visitors." Her voice was soothing, like velvet and honey, and Charlie couldn't resist. Almost.

"Edward is up there though! I saw him carry her up the stairs!"

It was true. We had all seen the way he had carried Bella, like she was to the point of death, which she almost had been.

_We had already been on our way back from Canada, where we had been hunting in an area with an over population of wildcats. The look on his face as he talked to Seth, learning about Bella's abduction, was one to be feared. I hoped I never had the chance to wear one like it, because of Alice. His face was wild and feral, filled with raging emotions and pure instinct. The speedometer flew forward; Edward was doubling his already break-neck speed. Weren't the werewolves supposed to be watching them? How could they let someone take her?_

"_Seth and Leah were changing watches." Edward didn't take his eyes off the deserted road, almost invisible through the torrential downpour. "it's not Seth's fault, nor Leah's for that matter." I could feel the guilt settling over him. _

"_Its not your fault either Edward." the guilt was seeping over to me now, and I could feel it eating away at our edges, rubbing us raw with pain. _

"_How is it not my fault!?" he ran a shaking hand through his hair, a sign of his emotional distress. "I've been off, hunting, for three days, FEEDING MYSELF, while Bella has been here, stolen from me, by some... MONSTER!" _

_I cowered at the word that so often described our kind. _

_I didn't want to upset Edward any further. Neither he, nor I, could handle any more emotion at the minute. _

_We reached Port Angeles in record time, and Edward quickly found Bella's truck, following the thoughts of Seth Clearwater and Sam Uley, who were standing there, waiting for our arrival. _

_They seemed surprised by our speedy arrival, but said nothing of it, following Edward with their gaze, waiting for him to catch Bella's scent. _

"_Usually her scent is so strong in the rain..." He seemed to be talking to himself, barely loud enough for my own sharp hearing to catch. _

_He stiffened, his attention drawn to the ground close by the driver side door to Bella's truck. He touched the ground with his forefinger, bringing it to his nose. _

"_Bella..." it was her blood, there on the ground, so diluted by the rain that I could barely even smell it. Since Edward was the most accustomed to her scent, it made sense that he would be the one to find her trail. _

_He took off, to the south, and I followed close behind, hearing the ripping of clothes that meant Sam and Seth had shifted. We went along the main road; the rain was so thick that nobody risked driving in it. _

_Edward stopped abruptly, and Seth, unable to successfully stop on the slick mud, skidded right into Sam's back, making Sam yelp out in pain. If the situation had been different, I might have found myself laughing at Seth's gangly clumsiness, so like that of Bella. _

_Edward ambled down the road in front of us, sniffing here and there, his eyes closed, concentrating. We had reached a fork in the road, and he wasn't sure which path to take. _

_The silence, even through the rain and thunder, was deafening. _

_Finally, after what had seemed to be an eternity, Edward's head jerked to the path on the right, and he took off again, having captured the trail once more. We ran, desperate for time. Even with our above average speed, it had been a little over two hours since Bella had disappeared. For all we knew, she could already be dead. _

_Edward wheeled to an abrupt stop in front of me, his face inches from mine, his eyes blazing, bright and black. _

"_Don't you ever, EVER, let me catch you even THINKING thoughts like that again!" his voice was low, quiet and deadly, and I shivered at the rage coursing through his body. _

"_I"m sorry, Edward. I don't even know why I thought that. She's alive. She has to be." Edward turned his back on me, and I finally noticed the wide span of metal warehouses, storage warehouses for the food industry, from the smell. Bella's scent was coming strongest from the one to the left of us._

_Edward deftly broke through the wide metal door, and the pups and I followed. _

_I could definitely smell Bella now, alone in the next room, the enticing scent called to me, and I closed my mouth and stopped breathing. _

"_Edward, I can't go in there. She's bleeding." _

_He turned his black eyes to me, and they scared me. The look in them was so haunting, I couldn't look away. _

_How could I deny my brother when he needed me the most. _

"_Please." For the first time since I'd known him, his voice broke. "I can't go in there alone."_

_I swallowed the venom that was rising in my throat and followed him into the wide room, gasping in horror as I saw Bella. _

_She was laying on the ground in the center of the room, her wrists tied to a shelf full of potato crates, one arm bent at an ungodly angle, clearly broken at the elbow. She was half naked, her pants down at her knees, undergarments ripped and pushed aside, still on her unmoving body. I shrank back in disgust. They had used Bella. _

_I heard a high keening sound, not unlike the one the newborns had made so many years ago as I had destroyed them, back before I knew hope. I was horrified, realizing that the haunting sound had come from my brother, his cold, unbeating heart ripped open at the sight of his love, laying there, used on the cold concrete. _

_He rushed to Bella, stroking her hair, feeling her pulse, covering her as best as he could. He pulled off his jacket, trying to cover as much of her nakedness. I couldn't look away from the grotesque picture in front of me, seeing the blood on the ground, leaking from every scratch, every claw, every bite those men had made. I was revolted. _

"_Seth, go get Charlie and Sue. Take them to my house in the truck, and wait for us there." He bit Bella's wrists free of their bondage, and cradled Bella into his arms. I removed my jacket as he stood, giving it to him, and he draped it over the remainder of her exposed skin. _

"_Thank you." I was forgiven for my unnecessary thoughts outside on the road. _

"_Edward, I know running her home would be faster, but she won't make it. She has to get warm, otherwise..." I didn't think I could finish my sentence. _

_Edward nodded, and we took off, into the trees, with Sam howling behind us. _

_Edward lifted Bella's limp form into the back of the Volvo, glancing at Sam, who had come up behind us. _

"_Sam, can you keep Bella warm for me?" I could feel the agony Edward felt, knowing that he couldn't bring warmth to Bella's lifeless form at a time like this, when she so desperately needed it. _

_Sam didn't answer, but shifted into his human form, and pulled on the gray sweatpants that had been tied to his leg. He crawled into the backseat, and pulled Bella into his chest, where she had stayed for the rest of the ride home. _

_Alice was waiting for us on the front porch when we pulled up; I knew she had been there since Seth had brought the news to her of Bella's abduction. She led us into Bella and Edward's room, past the dining room full of stares, including those of my family, Charlie, and Sue. Seth and Sam had left, unable to control themselves around the numerous vampires in the house. She gently stripped Bella of all of her clothing, drying her off, and redressing her in warm flannel pajamas. _

_Carlisle entered quickly, medical bag and plaster in hand, and set to work on preparing a cast for Bella's arm._

That brought us back to the present. We heard Bella, trying desperately to raise her voice, but unable due the the rawness of her throat. My family exchanged worried glances with one another.

"I'll go check it out." Rosalie glided out of the chair next to Emmett's and headed up the stairs without a backward glance.

A few seconds later, Edward appeared at the top of the stairs, looking ready to faint himself. Even though I knew that wasn't possible, I quickly left my chair to go to him, grasping his shoulders to keep him from falling over as he sat on a step.

"She doesn't want me." He cradled his head in his hands. My mind was going numb after all the pain I felt, from him, from Bella, and surprisingly, from Rosalie, upstairs.

"Edward," Alice appeared at my side, her silver voice calm and soothing, "That's not true. Just give her time, Edward. Bella still wants you. She loves you." She looked at me for confirmation.

"Of course she loves you. I can feel it Edward, just as strongly as I could before." I could also feel other feelings coming from Bella. Vulnerability. Worthlessness. Horror. Grief at the loss of innocence.

She felt tainted and unworthy. She didn't think she deserved him anymore, not since she had been ruined by _them._

Edward's eyes narrowed, taking in my thoughts. I felt the rage seep out again, washing over me, and this time, over everybody else in the room.

He swiftly left Alice and I on the steps, going across the room to gather up his keys, but before he could open the front door, Rosalie's voice at the top of the stairs stopped him.

"If you're going to take revenge for Bella, you're not going to leave without me." She left us all stunned, walking past Edward, BMW keys in hand already headed out toward the garage. Edward smiled darkly and tossed his keys back onto the counter. He followed behind Rosalie, closing the door behind them.

"Hey!" Emmett jumped up out of his chair, gallivanting after them, "Don't leave without me."

Alice smiled grimly at me; there was no way this crime was going unpunished.

A voice from across the room caught us all off-guard.

"What the _hell_ is going on here??"

We all looked at Charlie in unison.

We had some serious explaining to do.

**A/N: so maybe this chapter wasn't my best, i'm totally aware of that. I needed to find a way to fill you in on how Bella got to the Cullen's, who rescued her, blah blah blah, and this was the best way I could think up. **

**NEXT CHAPTER: Charlie gets an explanation from Sue and Alice. Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett get their revenge on Amos and Swollen-Tongue-Man. And its gonna be GOOD. **

**GIVE ME SOME IDEAS ON HOW YOU WANT THE MEAN, UGLY, SWOLLEN-TONGUED RAPISTS TO DIE! **

**I would greatly appreciate your input! :)**

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**oh, and I thought it was pretty cool that yesterday, when I wrote chapters 5, 6, and some of 7, it was totally raining REALLY HARD outside, just like in the story. **

**Hey, maybe it was a sign. **

**A SIGN THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO REVIEW! **

**Ok, maybe I overdid the reviewing requests, but i'm practically addicted to them. Please don't make me go through withdrawals. **

**Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for a way better chapter next time! **

**RedHeadedBelle**


	8. Control

**Disclaimer: don't own any of these characters (except for S.T.G. and Amos), even though I wish I did. So yeah. **

**Chapter 8**

**- Control-**

**Port Angeles**

**(RPOV)**

_They __will__ pay for what they did to Bella..._

The highway was blurring past my BMW, but not fast enough. I slammed my foot down on the gas pedal even harder. No one protested.

"We need a plan..." Edward's voice was rough in the passenger seat, his eyes focused unseeingly on the road before us.

"Why?" Emmett whined from the backseat, "Can't we just find them and take care of them?" He was as anxious as I was to get rid of them, but he was lacking control. We had to be careful. If we spilled any blood, the consequences would be dire.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on those mongrels, just as I had so many years ago; clothed in a white dress, seeing the fear in their eyes as they realized their prey had now become the predator...

"That's it Rose," Edward shifted in his seat to look at me.

"What?" I hadn't been planning anything, just reminiscing.

"We can use you as bait, Rose, " Edward's voice was high with excitement, "The prey becoming the predator?" He smiled, darkly.

It could work, I had to admit that. This would give me a chance to help avenge Bella.

"We'll be able to lure them out of the public eye, then we'll 'take care of them'," He said, shadowing Emmett's words from earlier.

"Let's do it."

"Sweet! When do I get to help?" Emmett's voice chimed in from the backseat, and I couldn't help but smile at his eagerness.

We had arrived in Port Angeles, and I rolled the windows down halfway, allowing the cool night air, and the scent of humans, into the car. Thankfully it had stopped raining.

Edward caught the scent first.

"They're in a bar. Take a right on Peterson." Edward pointed to a darkened street which led us to One-Eyed Pete's, the local pub.

I parked and unbuckled my seatbelt, the others following my lead, and stepped out of the car. I could see the inside of the bar, full of people since the rain had dissipated.

"They're sitting at the bar. The one with the green hat and the shorter man, darker in coloring." Edwards voice was taught; he was trying to stay in control of himself.

"Wait a minute, how do you know which ones they are? I thought you said they hadn't been there when you found Bella." Emmett sounded confused, asking my unspoken question.

"Well, despite the fact that they're still thinking about Bella as we speak," his mouth twisted into a scowl at the images their minds were portraying, "I've seen them before."

"How?" I asked, surprised.

"They were the ones who tried to attack Bella almost two years ago in Port Angeles, the herders."

I snarled.

"Rose, calm down." I was aware of Emmett's hand on my arm, trying to soothe me. He was right. I had to stay in control for our plan to work. I shook my head, trying to gather my self control.

"Okay. I'll sit at the bar next to them, on the empty stool. Edward, let me know when they've noticed me. They won't be able to pass up the chance for a little more pleasure when they already have the taste of it on their tongues." He flinched, but I went on. The sooner this was done, the sooner we could all breathe easy.

"Give me a signal to leave, and they'll follow. We can meet up in the alley at the end of the street." I pointed to a gap in the street lights, a dark alley between two tall brick buildings, well out of any human's earshot. I was cool and collected, trying to keep myself devoid of any emotion. That would make it easier in the long run.

Edward nodded, and I set off towards the bar, preparing myself for what was to come.

**Cullen Home**

**(APOV)**

"Okay, so explain this to me again. Leah and Seth are _what_?!"

Charlie's face was beet red with frustration, and even though the atmosphere in the dining room was extremely serious, I had to bite back a laugh.

Sue had been talking to Charlie for the past hour, trying to help him understand things and she was exasperated. Letting out a defeated sigh, she turned to me, pleadingly. Now it was my turn.

"Leah and Seth are werewolves, Charlie. So are Jacob Black, Sam Uley, and all the other over sized boys that follow them around. They can phase into their wolf forms at will to protect La Push." I was talking slowly, giving Charlie time to comprehend what I was saying. He seemed to finally take it in.

"And they're trying to protect La Push from... what exactly?" I sighed. We had gone over this before.

"The Quileute werewolves were brought back because of my family's arrival here."

"And your family is _what_, exactly?"

"You already know the answer to that Charlie..." Sue had already told him half a dozen times in the past hour.

Charlie sat there, contemplating the information he had just been given.

"Does Bella know this?" He asked, his eyes drifting to the staircase leading where Bella lay sleeping.

"Of course Charlie. She knows about...us... and the werewolves." I was trying to be patient. Bella hadn't needed this much convincing. As a matter of fact, she had figured it out on her own.

"That can't be true Alice. You're one of the nicest girls I've ever met. Carlisle is the best doctor in Washington, maybe in the states. How can such nice people be such... such..."

"Monsters?" I finished for him, guessing the word he had been looking for. He gazed back at me, ashamed for even thinking the thought. I shrugged.

"We try not to be monsters. We hunt as humanely as possible, only drinking from animals. In our eyes, only monsters treat humans as food." As I spoke, I was carried away by my concrete views on the subject, giving no thought to the man sitting next to me. Jasper flinched at my words.

I took his large hand in my smaller one and squeezed it apologetically, instantly regretting my thoughtless words.

"Wait a sec," Charlie interjected, "You only hunt animals?"

I nodded to Charlie's question, gazing over at Jasper. He was gazing out the glass wall, his eyes unfocused. I shivered uncomfortably. I had hurt him.

"Then I don't see what the problem is!"

"What?!" Jasper's full attention was focused solely on the man before us now, incredulous at his statement.

"You only attack animals, right?" Charlie shrugged. "its no different than me, or any other person for that matter, going hunting with a shotgun."

My mouth fell open in disbelief.

"I don't know what you guys are so worked up about."

Whatever I had thought Charlie's reaction would be, this hadn't been it. So much for betting against Alice.

**Port Angeles**

**(RPOV)**

I was fiddling with the lime wedge on my Cosmopolitan, waiting for Edward's signal from across the room. So far, I had turned down a total of 15 men in the 16 minutes I had been sitting here at the bar. Emmett sat glowering in the corner of the room opposite me, and I could tell he was debating on whether or not to deviate from the plan and stake his claim on me. I would have to make it up to him later. I caught his eye and winked, making a huge grin spread across his face.

A quiet cough came from Edward's corner of the room and I met his gaze. It had begun. I quickly paid my tab and headed towards the door, brushing past the one in the green hat, who slapped me on the butt as I walked by.

I was a fraction of a second away from tearing his body apart limb by limb when Bella's face flashed before my eyes, pale and bruised. I had to control myself, for her. She couldn't avenge herself, so I would do it for her.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing the two men whistling and grinning at me, and I winked before turning and heading out the door. I could hear cat calls and whistles coming from the busy building behind me.

It didn't take long for them to follow.

"Hey lady! Wait up!" I walked faster.

"Don't walk away from us, beautiful!" Their footsteps were growing faster. I walked faster, almost too fast for a human. I needed to reach the alleyway before I lost control.

I could hear Emmett and Edward tailing us, quiet enough for the humans to be oblivious, and I felt relieved that I wasn't alone. I was close to the alley, and I could hear shouts from

behind me, telling me to slow down.

Ten yards... Eight yards... Six...

I was so anxious for their end to come I could feel the venom pooling in my mouth.

Three.. Two...

I turned the corner into the alley and waited there, in the shadows, for my followers to arrive.

This one's for Bella.

**Cullen Home**

**(APOV)**

"You're sure you're okay with this? I mean, I can understand why you wouldn't want to marry me after all the secrets I've been keeping from you..." Sue trailed off. I could tell she was trying to keep her desperation hidden. She was scared to death that Charlie wouldn't accept her family anymore, after learning the truth.

Charlie looked at her like she was crazy.

"Of course I still want to marry you!" He practically shouted. I raised an eyebrow, and Charlie looked at the floor, embarrassed by his outburst.

"That is," he continued, still staring at the floor, "If you'll still have me."

A brilliant smile broke across Sue's face as she pulled Charlie close for an embrace.

"Always."

I led Jasper away, grabbing the recently forgotten Barnes & Noble bag that had been sitting on the table, and headed up the stairs

"Charlie took everything extremely well, don't you think?" Jasper nodded, taking the bag for me, walking at a slow human pace to our room.

"How is the hunt going?" Jasper asked me, opening the door to our second story room, just down the hall from the room where Bella lay, still asleep.

"They'll all be fine. They're being careful not to spill any blood." I tightened my hold on Jasper's hand and he leaned down to kiss my cheek in response.

"About downstairs..." I felt horrible about what I had said when describing our hunting habits. Nobody knew more than I did how hard Jasper worked on his self control. His motivation to stay with Carlisle's way of 'living' was his love for me. I knew he would do anything for me, no matter what the cost, and I had, though unintentionally, called him a monster.

"Alice, don't worry about it." He set the bag down on one of the huge wooden dressers in our room, and sat on the edge of the bed, easily pulling me down with him.

"I know you didn't mean any harm." He pulled me up to him to kiss me lightly on my frowning lips. "You were speaking the truth to Charlie and I can't hold that against you, nor would I want to."

"But I shouldn't have-"

"Alice," - he cut me off - "stop talking. You didn't do anything wrong, my love."

I sighed, laying my head on his chest as he scooped me up onto his lap, cradling me to him.

What had I ever done for God to bless me with a gift such as this?

**Port Angeles**

**(RPOV)**

It took a lot to scare me, but Edward was succeeding. I had never seen him so dark and angry, pushed to the edge by what these _creatures _had done to Bella.

He had Amos dangling three feet above the ground, held up against the brick wall by his throat.

"Do you know why you're here in this alley tonight?" Edward's teeth were bared, gleaming in the dim light. The man let out a garbled response. Apparently, Edward hadn't gotten the response he wanted, because he proceeded to break the man's arm at the elbow. I had to swallow the rush of venom that flooded into my mouth at the sound of the bone snapping. I heard Emmett shifting his feet uncomfortably, holding Amos's companion still, a huge hand clamped over his mouth to keep him from screaming.

"Tell me the truth!!" Edward snarled. "Do you know why you're here?" The dangling man couldn't reply, overcome with pain. Edward snapped the other elbow. I heard a whimper coming from the human behind me.

Edward reached into the man's jean pocket, pulling out something small and sparkling.

Bella's ring.

"Do you know who this belongs to?" My brother's voice was low and deadly. For his sake, I hope the man gave Edward the response he longed to hear. The man shook his head.

Edward pushed the man up against the brick wall again, and I could hear several ribs

cracking apart.

"This belongs to Isabella Swan. My love. My mate. My life." Bones were breaking from the pressure of Edward's hands, punctuating his words.

"Your life for hers." I recognized the fear in the man's eyes a split second before his neck was snapped and he dropped to the concrete. Edward turned to face the other man, and Emmett released him; he was too paralyzed with fear to run, having seen the body of his former friend.

"Please... don't kill me..." Edward walked closer, ignoring the man's words.

"Don't kill me... show me mercy..." Edward stopped dead.

"Mercy? MERCY??" I flinched at the rage in his voice. "Mercy like you showed Bella, leaving her half-dead in the cold, her body broken by your MERCY?" The man looked confused. Edward rushed forward and quickly snapped his neck, making the man's body go limp.

He moved quickly, piling the bodies onto each other for a quick disposal and headed off, running into the direction of the forest nearby.

Emmett let out a low whistle.

I punched him in the stomach.

"Shut up! He can still hear you!" Emmett rubbed his stomach mockingly; we both knew I couldn't put a dent in that thick hide of his.

"I don't think he's been doing a lot of hearing lately. Did you see him just now? It was almost scary." Emmett ran a hand through his hair. "He almost lost it back there."

I nodded. Emmett took my hand and we waited there together for Edward to get back.

"Did you see that last guy's face before he died?" Emmett asked suddenly. I glanced up at him, surprised. Had he seen it too?

"He looked confused. Wonder why."

"Whatever it was, Edward didn't take too kindly to the answer. He finished him off after hearing whatever last thought the man had." Emmett's voice was full of pride at his brother's effortless killing. I grimaced.

"Why don't you ask him?" I asked, batting my long eyelashes up at him. He gulped.

"Umm... I don't know Rose..." He shifted unsteadily, looking anywhere but at me.

"Please? You _d_o want to know, don't you?" I pressed my body to his, knowing he'd be fully aware of how close I was to him, and took advantage of how disoriented he was by my touch.

He let out an unintelligible gurgle.

There was a coughing sound from behind us, where Edward now stood.

"Oh. Sorry." I broke away from Emmett and made my way back to the BMW, his hand in tow.

"As for the answer to your question," Edward said, as we drove back home, "He was confused because he didn't know Bella was still alive." He paused, trying to keep his words steady. "He figured they had beaten her to death, since she had lost so much blood and wasn't moving. Once I said she was still alive, he wished they had double checked so they could have taken care of her properly." He snarled at the thought.

"I'm sorry Edward." Emmett said softly from the backseat. I nodded in agreement.

It was silent the rest of the way home.

When we arrived back at the house, we met Alice, Jasper, and Esme in the living room. Alice stood up when we entered.

"We sent Charlie home for the night. He knows everything."

"Everything?" I asked, astonished.

"Everything." Alice beamed. "He was surprisingly calm about it too. Once he got all the facts down, he didn't need much convincing. He's more like Bella than we give him credit for."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Edward at Bella's name, and Esme calmly patted his arm.

"Jasper and I were planning on going hunting with Carlisle and Esme after Bella's exam." Alice looked at me. "Do you and Emmett want to come with?"

"Sure." Edward needed some time alone with Bella without the rest of us breathing down their necks.

"Edward, can I speak to you for a minute?" He nodded his assent followed me into the dining room away from the rest of our family.

"Be gentle on her Edward, don't be too hasty to touch her or sit too close. Understand that these men overpowered her. They were stronger than her, and they took advantage of that fact and hurt her. Don't be surprised if she's a little bit distant at first, okay?" He nodded, pain written across his face.

"She's scared senseless Edward. She needs you to prove to her that you still love her. She doesn't think she's worthy of you anymore." His mouth turned down into a sharp frown.

I tried to smile warmly at him.

"I trust that by the time we get back tomorrow, you will have proven otherwise?"

He gave a small smile at my words and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks Rose, for everything you've done for Bella."

"That's what sisters are for." I winked. "Besides, she's beginning to grow on me."

He let out a low chuckle and followed me back into the living room where Carlisle had joined the others.

"She'll be fine, Edward. I wrapped her ribs, seeing as most of them were broken, although thankfully, her lungs haven't been punctured. There's no internal bleeding that I can find, although she does have plenty of cuts and a deep gash on the back of her head where she was knocked unconscious. She has bruising all over, and she's still extremely tender, so be gentle," Carlisle chided, unnecessarily.

"So you're done looking her over?" Edward asked, relieved at his chance to finally see Bella.

"For tonight. Tomorrow, however, I will bring back some testing kits from the hospital so I can test for any Sexually Transmitted Diseases." Edward stiffened beside me.

"Its just standard procedure, son, you know that. Nothing smelled off, though, so I don't think you'll have to worry about that. I just gave her something for the pain, so she should be dozing off in a few minutes" He gave his son a warm smile before turning to his wife.

"Shall we head off?"

Esme nodded and we all filed out the great wooden door, shutting it with a thud behind us.

(BPOV)

I heard the front door close and my heart thumped painfully. Had they left me alone?

There was a light knock on the door.

"Bella?"

I shifted guiltily against the mountain of pillows that were propping me upright and gasped sharply, the movement causing me pain from my broken ribs.

Cold arms wrapped me in a blanket, laying me comfortably on my back, surrounded by pillows.

"Are you more comfortable?" the velvet voice asked.

I nodded. I was too ashamed from my earlier behavior towards him that I couldn't even look him in the face.

"Bella." He sat next to me on the bed and brought his face down to mine. "Look at me."

It was as if my eyes moved of their own accord at his command. I couldn't help myself. His golden eyes were touched with pain, pain I knew I had caused with my cold words earlier that evening.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered, just loud enough for my weak human ears to hear.

"Shh..." He stroked my hair, brushing my bangs back, his tenderness bringing tears to my eyes. "Don't apologize. You have nothing to apologize for, my love." He kissed my tears away from my cheeks, slowly and gently, trying not to make me uncomfortable.

"I will always love you. Always." I was only dimly aware of his presence now, the pain killers were starting to work. I felt him push something lightly onto my finger. My ring.

"How did you get this back?" my words sounded like mush.

"It doesn't matter anymore Bella. Sleep now, my love." He started humming my lullaby, and I quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.

**A/N: phew!! so this chapter was almost twice as long as the previous chapters, an attempt of mine to hopefully make up for taking so long to update, and i think the chapter just needed to be long, personally. SHOUTOUTS: thanks to PattinsonGirl513, CherryBlossoms016, SolBeowulf19, Faerie of Murtagh, Lilly McShepin, anime123456781, Liz16, and the-vampire-act for REVIEWING! YOU GUYS ROCK! **

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	9. Promises

Chapter 9

Promises -

Edward

I bounded up the stairs to the next floor, reaching the closed door to my room seconds after Carlisle had shut the front door. I could hear Bella's heart beating faster than normal. Was she scared? In pain? I knocked on the door.

"Bella?" I called softly. I heard the rustle of pillows, but she didn't answer.

When I opened the door, she tried to shift her body away from me, in order to hide her face. The sudden movement made her gasp, probably because of the pain in her ribs. I rushed to her side, wrapping her in a blanket as I gently took her in my arms, making her face me.

"Are you comfortable?" I asked her, breathing in her luxurious scent.

She nodded, still not looking at me, even though our faces were just inches apart. What was wrong? Did she still not want me to touch her? I thought about releasing my grip on her, but didn't. The slight pressure of my arms acted like a tight wrap, actually making it easier for her to breathe. If I was helping to relieve some of her physical pain, I couldn't let go. I thought of Rosalie's earlier words, pondering them. Was Bella too ashamed to look at me? Surely not. I couldn't blame her for how she had reacted the last time she had seen me; she was in emotional turmoil!

"Bella, look at me." I tried to keep my face composed while her gaze moved slowly to mine hesitantly, her brow wrinkled, and her eyes full of remorse.

"I'm so sorry," she breathed. I closed my eyes to keep Bella from seeing the pain reflected in them.

"Shhh..." I quieted her, "Don't apologize." She needed to stop blaming herself for hurting my feelings, and start worrying about her own wellbeing.

She looked as though she were going to open her mouth to apologize again.

"You have nothing to apologize for, my love," I stopped her, brushing her hair back from her beautiful face, bruised from last night's ordeal. She softly began to cry as I took her hand in my own and kissed the salty tears off her face.

As I held her hand, partially encased in her cast, I remembered what I had retrieved, just under an hour ago. I pulled my mother's ring -Bella's ring- out of my jeans pocket and carefully slipped it onto her ring finger.

"I will always love you," I promised her, "always."

I could smell the morphine that Carlisle had given her circulating through her system, making her sleepy, and causing her words to slur.

"How'd you get this back?"

I dodged the question.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Bella." I would tell her in the morning, after she had some rest.

"Sleep now, love." She tried to resist the pull of sleep, but when I started to hum her lullaby in her ear, she quickly surrendered to sleep.

I held her as she slumbered, watching her eyelashes flutter and droop, hearing as her breathing deepened, and her heartbeat gradually slowed.

I assessed the situation at hand. Even though Rosalie, Emmett, and I had gotten rid of those fiends, we couldn't get rid of the marks that they had left on Bella physically and psychologically. Almost every inch of her was bruised, including an eye that was almost swollen shut, she had 2 broken ribs on one side, and they had snapped her left arm clean just above the elbow. She had scratches all along her body, and it was difficult smelling the fresh blood that rose from the wounds. As for her ribs, it would take at least 3 weeks for them to heal, maybe more. The scratches would heal in days, as would the the bruises and black eye, and the broken arm could heal easily in the cast it was in. Bella would be perfectly healthy in a little over a month, maybe less with the exceptional health care she would be receiving from Carlisle, Rosalie, and myself. The only thing I was unsure of how to heal was Bella's spirit. I had seen through Bella's eyes tonight, the pain and torture she had gone through in the warehouse, and the look in her eyes had frightened me more than anything I had seen in my life.

I could fight off the nomads who thirsted for her blood, and I could keep a secure hold on her heart , even with a werewolf for competition. I could do all that and more to keep her safe, but the one thing I wasn't sure of how to fix was broken. Bella's spirit was crumbling. She had been broken, used, and left for dead by pathetic excuses of men. She had been broken by a man who was so much stronger than her, who used his strength against her to break her. She had gone through hell and back.

I looked down at her sleeping face, crumpled close to my chest. I would be patient for her. I would be there to comfort, love, and cherish her, and prove to her how much she's worth to me. I promised her, then and there, that I would show her how much she meant to me, every minute of every day.


	10. Breakfast Confessions

**A/N: here's the second part of what i had written! yay! :)**

Disclaimer: i own nothing. :(

Bella

As I awoke, the sun was halfway hidden by the horizon, casting pink and orange into a dark blue sky. Edward's arms were still wrapped tight around my body, and his closeness made it easier for me to breathe. I kissed his chest, letting him know I was awake.

"Good afternoon, my love." he whispered into my hair.

Afternoon? I looked out the window at the sinking sun. Had I really slept that long?

"What time is it?" I asked him, settling back into his arms to lay my head on his chest.

"Its around 7:30," he said, pressing a kiss onto my forehead, "so maybe I should have said 'Good evening' instead" he chuckled.

His voice was soft, welcoming me back to the land of the living after almost 20 hours of sleep. I yawned and stretched my legs and arms, my toes still not reaching far enough to touch his through the blanket.

"Are you hungry?"

I shook my head, but my stomach growled, disagreeing with me. Edward laughed.

"I'll go get you something to eat." He moved to disentangle himself from me and I panicked.

"No!"

He stopped moving immediately. I looked down at his chest, abashed at my outburst.

"Can I come down with you?" Even though I was horribly sore and bruised, I was pretty sure I could make the trip downstairs to the kitchen.

Edward hesitated, clearly debating on whether or not to give in to my request.

Finally, he smiled and nodded, stooping to gather me in his arms. The sudden lift sent my head spinning, and I had to lean in closer to his chest, closing my eyes to keep the nausea away. He took the steps lightly, trying to keep me from being jostled as much as possible. After setting me on one of the barstools in the kitchen, he set to work, pulling ham, eggs, bacon, and biscuits out of the fridge and onto the counter top in front of me. I merely shook my head, wondering how I was going to eat it all.

"Where's everybody at?" The living room had been deserted when we had breezed by, which had been highly unusual for the Cullens. Edward threw the ham onto the pan, making it sizzle, the scent wafting through the kitchen. I was hungrier than I thought.

"Everybody just got back from hunting. Carlisle stopped at the hospital to pick up some more medication and testing materials for you, Alice and Esme are headed to Seattle, and Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper are upstairs. Now they know you're awake, they should be coming down to see you soon." Edward flipped the ham over and back onto the pan with a flick of his wrist. For someone who didn't eat human food, he sure was a good cook.

"Wait," I stopped him, "why are Alice and Esme headed to Seattle?"

Edward popped a couple biscuits in the toaster and set the finished ham on a plate, handing it to me. I grabbed my fork and cut off a bite, waiting for his answer.

"They're picking up Renee."

I choked mid-swallow. Edward, terrified, rushed to my side and patted my back, trying to dislodge the stuck piece of food without hurting my ribs further.

When I could finally breathe, I rounded on him.

"What do you mean, 'They're picking up Renee'?" Edward dropped his hand from my back, and continued to make my breakfast, moving the bacon around on another pan.

"Charlie called Renee before he left last night. She caught the first flight to Seattle, and since Charlie had to work, Esme and Alice went to pick her up."

He stated all of this matter-of-factly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Edward pulled the biscuits out of the toaster and buttered it before slapping on some grape jelly and dropping it on my plate.

"Eat." He commanded.

I picked up the fork I had dropped during my choking episode, trying to sort my feelings for this sudden announcement.

Part of me wanted to pretend last night had never happened, even though the ribs and arm were a constant reminder. Another part of me wanted to see my mother- to be comforted the way only a mother can comfort.

My thoughts were interrupted by the loud boom that was Emmett running down the steps toward me.

I smiled at him, though it probably looked more like a grimace with my swollen eye and busted lip.

"Bella!" he exclaimed, coming to a stop a split second before he would have crashed into me, "How are you feeling?"

His huge smile was infectious, and my own grew wider, tugging on my split lip, but I didn't care.

"I feel a lot better." I answered, truthfully. Maybe it had been the 20 hours of sleep I had gotten, but honestly, I did feel better. My arm was in its plain white cast, my ribs were bandaged up, and my bruises, minus the ones on my face were covered up. I was sure I looked better than the list time he had seen me, so I took comfort from that thought.

"You look better, kid," Emmett agreed, ruffling my hair affectionately, "Though in comparison with how you looked last night, that probably isn't too hard!"

I let out a laugh when Edward shot a murderous glare in Emmett's direction. Just as Edward set the bacon on my plate, I saw Jasper and Rosalie walk into the kitchen. While Rose sat on the side of me that Emmett wasn't completely blocking off, Jasper leaned against the wooden door frame, looking the most 'at ease' I had ever seen him before. Rosalie smiled at me kindly, and I tried to gather up a thank you for her.

She stopped me.

"No thanks necessary, Bella," she said, giving me another warm smile, "Its about time that I started acting like a sister to you anyways." I was shocked at her admittance, but grateful nonetheless. I saw Jasper still leaning against the wide door frame into the living room and, still elated by Rosalie's acceptance, I gave him a grin.

He chuckled and gave me a small grin as well.

I turned back to my breakfast and quickly emptied my plate before Edward gave me the scrambled eggs.

It was quiet as he washed the pans and everybody else watched me eat, looking like they expected me to shatter onto the floor in front of them.

"Where's Renee going to stay while she's here?" I asked Edward, watching him dry the pan with a thick white dishtowel.

Rosalie answered for him.

"Charlie thought it would be best if she stayed with him." I nodded and she continued.

"After Charlie's conversation with Jasper, Alice, and Sue last night, he thought it would be" -she shot a glance at Jasper- "prudent if she stayed in a house with her own species."

"What do you mean, 'with her own species?'" Edward shot Rose a death glare. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You haven't told her yet?" Edward shook his head, momentarily looking a bit sheepish.

"She had just woken up!" he defended himself, gesturing with his arms, pan still dripping in one hand. "I didn't want to put any more stress on her than necessary!"

"Wait," I interrupted them, "do you mean to tell me that my father knows that you're..." I raised my eyebrow suggestively.

"Well..." Edward set down the pan and walked around the bar to me, "technically I didn't tell him anything. You'll have to take that up with Jasper and Alice."

I rounded on Jasper.

"Hey! Don't blame me!" Jasper put his hands up, looking like a gangsta caught by the Po-Po, "it was bound to happen anyways... I can't believe those stupid werewolves phased right in front of him in Port Angeles..."

"WHAT?!" I screamed, "HOW MUCH DOES HE REALLY KNOW?!"

"Everything." Rosalie answered simply.

"Charlie was also told about our... eating habits... and was surprisingly calm about it." Edward took me into his arms, trying to calm me after my recent outburst. "He actually reminded me of you a little, my love, his relative calmness about the whole subject. He compared my family's nutritional needs to recreational hunting!" He smiled, trying to lighten my mood, and it worked. I laughed. I turned to Jasper.

"You said Charlie saw someone phase in Port Angeles? Why were there werewolves in Port Angeles yesterday?" Emmett let out a howl of laughter, and Rosalie chuckled. Jasper just smiled down at me.

"Well?" I demanded, ignoring their amusement at my unintentional humor.

"You'll have to ask Edward, Bella." Jasper watched me with interest, and I slowly turned to Edward, waiting for him to answer my unasked question.

"Well..." he said again, delaying his answer, " I may have asked Seth and Leah to keep an eye on you while I was away." He looked at me, trying to calculate any hidden rage in my expression, prepared for another outburst. I bit my lip, trying to remain calm. Edward was only trying to protect me, I reasoned. I couldn't blame him for enlisting Seth and Leah's help, especially not after...

I didn't want to think about last night. One thought alone would demolish my "ignore-the-fact-that-anything-happened" plan, and I had to keep up a front. I wouldn't let Edward see how much I was hurting. I looked him in the eyes, and I saw concern for me floating in them. I never wanted to hurt him again, not after my horrid display last night.

"I understand, Edward." I told him, reaching out and taking his hand. "I need all the protection I can get!" I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, and he joined in, pressing a kiss into my open palm.

Emmett tried to suppress a groan.

"What's wrong with you now?" I asked him. I turned just in time to see Jasper collecting a huge wad of bills from Emmett, and sighed, defeated.

"Do you guys always bet on my reactions?" I asked them.

"Yep." Emmett confirmed, giving me a grin.

I smiled.

"Who's ahead so far?" I asked, genuinely curious for once.

"Jasper," Edward said, kissing my hair as he wrapped his arms around me once more. I breathed in his scent, more wonderful than any other fragrance on earth. Flashing me a grin, he continued. "He never bets against Alice."

**A/N: please make me smile. ReviewsLOVE. so lay all your love on me!! lol**

**no seriously. it makes me happy when you guys review, and when i'm happy, i WRITE FASTER! its a proven fact. :)**

**also, if you love me, wink wink, you'll check out my new story, La Vita Nuova, which is gonna be full of Jasper/Alice goodness and more. its gonna be amazing, if i do say so myself. so review!**

**P.S. - those of you who review will be getting a sneak peek at an upcoming chapter in An Unexpected Legacy. but you have to check out La Vita Nuova to be considered for a spoiler chapter! :)**

**much love, **

**RedHeadedBelle**


	11. Visions

**A/N: Playlist for the chapter (these don't necessarily go along with the plot line, they're just songs I sang along to while I wrote, and typed this chapter!): Tiger Lily-Matchbook Romance, Iris-GooGoo Dolls, Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore- REO Speedwagon, Open Arms-Journey, Fall For You- Secondhand Serenade, and On My Own- Les Miz (the musical)**

**Disclaimer: Much to my sorrow, I own nothing. :(**

**Chapter 11**

**-Visions-**

* * *

**Esme Cullen**

"Alice!"

My daughter's head jerked forward, almost hitting the dashboard of the Mercedes. Frightened, I put a hand on her shoulder, continuing to drive with my free arm.

"Are you alright, dear?" Her eyes were still glazed over, her mind still caught in a vision only she could see. She was completely still, her white hand grasping the cup holder between us so hard I could hear the plastic cracking. I turned into the empty parking lot of an airport hotel, keeping an eye on Alice as I drove. Usually her visions weren't so violent. The only time they had been previously were when something bad was...

I gasped and spun to face my tiny daughter, clutching her shoulders, shaking her to make her come to. Her tawny eyes were darker than usual as they cleared, and her gaze met mine.

"Esme?" Alice's voice was reed thin, breaking.

"I'm right here, darling," I brushed her usually spiky hair out of her face. "Are you alright?"

She swallowed unnecessarily, her golden eyes averting from my face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she lied.

"Alice, you're scaring me." She bit her lip guiltily, meeting my eyes for a fraction of a second before looking down at her lap.

"I don't want to talk about it, Mom." She dismissed the subject, turning forward in her seat again. I ignored her.

"What did you see?"

Her large eyes slowly slid up to look at me, filled with fear.

"I can't tell you, Esme." She took one of my hands in her own, "He'll know."

The look in her eyes was surprisingly dead as she spoke, and I tried to piece together what she was saying.

Of course the "he" she was talking about was Edward; she had been looking at Bella and Edward's future since we had left to hunt yesterday evening. Something bad was going to happen to Bella and Edward, and Alice didn't want Edward to know.

I felt the burning behind my eyes from nonexistent tears. How could I protect my children if I wasn't prepared for what was to come?

"I'm sorry, Esme." Alice's expression was similar to how I thought my own looked; full of fear, sadness, and a bit of frustration.

Who could Alice be frustrated with?

"Do you want me to drive?"

I nodded, getting out of the car to go around to the passenger's seat. Alice met me in the middle and wrapped her thin arms around my waist in a tight hug, her spiky hair barely tickling my nose.

"Esme, don't worry. Let me do that for once."

Her voice was calm, but I could hear the hidden anxiety in my daughter's voice.

"Alice, I'm your mother," I gave her a gentle squeeze in response, "Its my job to worry."

She looked up at me, a cheeky grin dancing upon her face.

"Esme, you're the only mother I have ever known," Her bell-like voice rang in the empty parking lot, signalling the honesty and love in her words, "I'm privileged to have you call me 'daughter' "

I smiled, the joy bursting through.

"I love you too, Alice."

She jumped up to kiss me on the cheek before plopping into the empty drivers seat, and we sped off, wordlessly, to our destination.

Alice Cullen

The less I think about what is going to -no, what could happen- the better.

I sped around, dropping to just above the legal limit as I neared the airport. The last thing I needed was a speeding ticket. Even thought the money wasn't necessarily a problem, I knew that Renee's flight was coming in early, and we were going to be late.

I had checked through all the possibilities of the situation.

If Edward found out about what I had seen in my vision, he would definitely overreact; it would be a knee-jerk reaction for him. If I told him what was to come, he would undoubtedly have a breakdown of self-loathing and grief, and that was hardly the best thing for Bella right now, especially under the circumstances. Bella was weak as it is. If she knew...

The possibilities weighed on my mind like a rhinoceros on steroids.

I tried not to sigh in frustration; Esme was already suspicious of my reluctance to tell her the truth.

I deftly pulled into one of the closest parking spots I could find, and Esme and I set off in search of Renee.

It took us only a couple of seconds to spot her over by the pay phone, talking to Phil, I assumed. She looked almost exactly like Bella, with the same eyes, pale skin, and chestnut hair. In fact, the only physical difference between mother and daughter were the extra 5 inches and laugh lines Renee had.

Esme and I walked over to her slowly, not wanting to frighten her, and waited a few feet away for her to spot us or finish her call, whichever came first.

Once she saw us, she gave a little wave and a smile, saying a quick goodbye and hung up the phone.

"Hello," Esme began, "you must be Bella's mother."

"And you must be Edward's." They exchanged smiles and Renee reached out for a handshake. Esme looked at me uncertainly, unsure of how Renee would react when she felt her cold skin.

I shrugged at her, quick enough for Renee to miss the gesture. If Renee was really the flighty character Bella had said she was, she wouldn't ponder on it.

Esme and Renee grasped hands for a second before I showed them to the car, carrying Renee's ridiculously large suitcase behind me.

From behind me, I heard Renee start to speak.

"What exactly happened to Bella?" I froze, my hand still on the trunk, halfway closed. Esme gasped, her hand clapped to her mouth.

"You don't know?" I asked her, shocked. She looked sheepish.

"Charlie was pretty upset on the phone last night. All I understood is that Bella was hurt and that I needed to come as soon as possible."

Esme and I exchanged glances. I could almost see their conversation before me; Charlie's face red with fear for Bell's well-being and anger at the monsters who had cornered her. I was surprised he had even been able to call Renee by himself.

"Maybe we should sit down." Esme led Renee to the backseat, closing the door as she slid in. Esme gave me a panicked glance as Renee fumbled with her bag, and slid into the passenger's seat.

I started the car, knowing that once Renee heard the truth, she'd want to get home as soon as possible.

Esme turned around in her seat to face the back.

"Mrs. Dwyer, I-"

"Please," Renee interrupted, "Call me Renee."

"Renee, then,"

I heard Renee's breath hitch as my mother spoke her next words, and I could almost feel her heart break.

"Bella was attacked."

* * *

**A/N: sorry about such a short chapter! I'm in the process of writing a 3 page paper for my English Language class, and being the slacker that i am, i put it off until the night before it was do. its alright though, because the paper that only needed to be three pages long is turning out to be a flipping novel. oh well. anyways, review, and I'll post the next chapter later, since I'm pretty much finished with it! yay! :) Leave me some love! **

**Oh yeah, and if you REALLY love me, you'll check out my new-ish story, La Vita Nuova. **

**Ciao! **

**P.S. - I totally almost forgot. i work at a retirement home (fun fun fun) at one of the restaurants there, and I was escorting tonight (picking up people in different sections of the building with wheel chairs yadda yadda) and while I was walking through the halls tonight, i saw a name plate on the outside of a door, and the lady who lived there was named Mary Alice Broome! I was like "YAYYYY ALICE!!" lol... i know i know.. i'm so weird sometimes. anyways. if you're wondering why i don't update as much, its because i just got over being almost deathly sick (not really, but i felt like i was dying), i have loads of homework, and i'm starting a new job that has me working over 20 hours a week. and i have school. and i have to sleep sometime. sooooo yeahh. but still, i find time to procrastinate on essays cough cough and write chapters for you guys. so you should thank me by reviewing/pm-ing me. i always find time to answer back, mostly because all of you are so freaking amazing. and since i've just written the longest A/N on this website, i'm going to sign off now. :)**

**Kelc**


	12. Revelations Part I

**A/N: I know it's been a long time. And I know this chapter is short. I was gonna wait to post until I had more to write, but its late, and I have to work all day tomorrow. I'll post more later tomorrow afternoon. Promise. **

**Disclaimer: nothing belongs to me. Except for one little, bitty, thing... :)**

**Chapter 12: Revelation**

**Esme Cullen**

I could tell something was going on behind the mask of my daughter's quiet façade, and my thoughts were confirmed when I saw the look on Jasper's face when we pulled up. He was standing in front of the oak front door, simply waiting for us to arrive, but the look on his face was more than that of stoic calmness. He looked worried for the first time I had ever seen him. He lightly walked down the steps toward us, waiting for Alice to shut off the car and get out. They didn't share their customary greeting: a shared look into each other's eyes, a baring of souls, but instead she took his hand and led him into the swaying fringe of the woods surrounding our house. Sighing, I turned around to lead Renee into the house, trying hard not to look for my children's shadows in the dark trees around us.

**Rosalie Cullen**

I watched silently as Bella and Renee were reunited, feeling a slight twinge of emotion as mother and daughter embraced. I barely remembered my real mother; she was only a foggy memory, buried along with my other recollections of the past. I looked at Esme and Carlisle standing near the door to the kitchen, and watched as the only parents I had embraced. I shifted my gaze to the paused TV, not wanting to interrupt. Their love was epic, and never ceased to awe me. They were so different from Emmett and me, and entirely dependent on each other. I looked around for their younger counterparts, but I couldn't find Jasper or Alice anywhere.

"Emmett," I whispered, softly enough so that only he could hear me, "Where do you think Alice and Jasper are?"

He shrugged, still watching the frozen screen.

"You know how they are. If they're separated for more than five minutes, they throw quite a reunion party..." He winked at me, making me roll my eyes. He chuckled and pecked my cheek, making me laugh in turn.

**Alice Cullen**

I took Jasper's hand and led him off into the woods surrounding our house. I had to tell somebody what I had seen, and Jasper was the only one I knew that could share my burden of knowledge.

"Alice, what is it?"

I shook my head and pulled him along faster, speeding up into a light run. The wind breezed through my short hair, and I reveled in the force of the air hitting my face.

I waited until we were out of earshot to come to a stop, Jasper following my lead instantly.

"Something has happened, Jazz. Its not like it should be."

"What are you talking about?" His eyes were alarmed, sensing my fear, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Jasper. Its not me I'm worried about." I looked down at the ground. HI wished I could cry, if only to release the emotion I felt at this moment.

"Its Bella, Jazz."

He tilted my chin up, and I could see the relief flooding through him.

"Bella will be alright, my love, you saw that. All she needs is time."

"Time can't fix this, Jasper." I pulled out of his grasp, turning to sit on a large tree stump behind me. Jasper stood stalk-still.

"My vision changed. Things are different now, Jazz. I just can't believe... after all that has happened to her already..."

Jasper walked over to me, kneeling down to look into my eyes. We gazed at each other, our eyes level, neither of us breaking the silence.

Should I tell him what I had seen? To think about it was one thing, but to actually verbalize it, to speak it aloud, it made everything real. I took a deep breath and decided on truth.

"Jasper?"

"Yes, darlin?"

"She's pregnant."


	13. Revelations Part II

**A/N: Here's a second part of Chapter 12. sorry about the multiple installations. I think that they all should belong in a chapter together, but I don't have enough time to sit down and write it all at once, no matter how much I may want to. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the story line. Foshaz. **

**Chapter 12: Revelation (Part II)**

**Jasper**

"Pregnant?" I asked her, shocked. Alice was telling the truth, there was no doubt about that. I just couldn't believe what was happening. Everyone in our family knew about Edward and Bella's decision to stay chaste until after the wedding, and even if they had consummated their relationship, it was known that our kind was incapable of reproducing. That left only one option.

"Was it..." I drifted off, unable to speak further. Alice nodded, her emotions swelling into a great crescendo. I was incapable of speech. Not only had Bella, my sister, been assaulted last night, but impregnated? It was almost too much to bear.

"What did you see?"

Alice stood, shaking her head, her emotions getting the best of her.

"I don't know Jazz... It was mostly flashes! I saw Bella, sick in the bathroom, laying in bed, being unable to eat." She started pacing in front of me, her light footsteps barely making a print on the lush grass. "At first I thought it was just a cold, or maybe a bit of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from her ordeal last night. Then, I saw her talking to Carlisle, holding her belly, and I just knew." She stopped pacing to look at me.

"You should have seen the way Edward looked at her, Jasper. It just about broke my heart."

Even with all my experiences dealing with human, and vampire, emotions, I couldn't even _begin _to comprehend what Edward must have been feeling. I thought about how I would have felt, had Alice been in Bella's place and I in Edward's. How would it feel to have another man, a _monster_, sire a child with the love of your life, when you were unable? I knew that one of the reasons Edward had been so reluctant to be with Bella was because of his inability to provide a normal, human life for her, filled with human experiences, and children. Now he had to watch as she carried another man's child in her, the child of a disgusting excuse of a man. Unless she decided not to have the baby?

"Is she going to keep it?"

"Jazz," Alice started, "I won't know for sure until she knows herself. Right now, she doesn't even _know _she's pregnant. At least, not consciously." She sat back down on the stump, bringing her knees up to her chest. She looked as small as a child.

"The only thing I do know is that Edward isn't going to okay. He won't be expecting this." I nodded my head in agreement.

"Should we tell them?" Who knew what kind of an impact this kind of news would have on the family, especially so soon after Bella's attack.

"Not yet. Bella's so fragile as it is, Jasper. Edward can't know yet either. She's depending on him for strength, and if he loses it... I don't want to know what will happen next." She took my hand, holding it to her pale cheek for comfort. "Let them have happiness for their wedding and honeymoon. They'll have troubles soon enough."

I nodded my assent, looking up towards the sky that was slowly filling with stars.

**A/N: okay, so some of you may agree with me on this, and some of you may disagree. If you were wondering how Alice could know so early on about Bella's pregnancy, this is my reasoning. I believe that life begins at conception, end of story. So there you go. Bella got pregnant, Alice knows because it has already happened, she's seeing stuff in the future having to do with Bella's eggo bein preggo. If you don't hold the same view, cool beans. I, however, own this story line, so what I say goes. So deal with it. :) **

**More to come later. Leave me some lovin'. **

**Kelcey**


	14. Reunion

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the plot line. **

**Chapter 13 **

**Reunion -**

**Bella**

"I'm glad you're here, Mom."

Renée scooted closer to me on the bed, wrapping her arm around me, as if to cradle me tighter.

"So am I, honey. I just wish it was under better circumstances." I looked down at my lap, staring at my raggedy fingernails, and heard Renée's appalled intake of breath.

"I'm so sorry, Bella, I didn't mean to mention it." I could hear the tears in her voice. I swallowed to keep my own from spilling.

"Its fine, Mom," I choked out, "Its not that big of a deal, really. I'm fine."

"Bella, look at me." She turned my face, gently, to look into my eyes. "It was a big deal. It _is _a big deal. Someone hurt you. You are _not _alright. I know you well enough to know you're hurting. I know how well you can hide your hurts. I saw you last winter, when Edward...." she paused, trying to find the words that would hurt me less, "...when you were all alone here..." she took my hand and rubbed it, "I know you're trying to hide everything away, to keep from hurting. Honey, you're going to have to let it out, otherwise, its all going to come crashing down on you, sooner or later."

I couldn't help myself. Already, the tears were welling in my eyes at her kinds words and the tenderness she was bestowing upon me. They spilled over my face as I remembered everything that had happened in the past few hours, and the whole story came spilling out of my mouth, everything I could remember. I sobbed, all of my emotions that I had kept hidden this morning with Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward broke through my brick wall. Renée stroked my hair, listening to every word, and I felt her own warm tears join my own, falling onto the blanket wrapped around the both of us.

**Alice**

I wasn't sure how I could keep this hidden from Edward.

My first thought was to go on a little vacation with Jasper to Isle Esme, just to be safe, but I knew I couldn't leave now, not with Bella as emotionally broken as she was. I could hear her crying with Renée from the dining room, where my family sat, clustered around our mock dinner table, starting a family discussion.

Carlisle folded his hands on the table, ready to begin.

"All of you know what happened last night. Bella was attacked, and taken advantage of by the men she met in Port Angeles a year ago. With the help of Seth and Leah Clearwater, plus the rest of the pack, Edward and Jasper were able to find Bella, though not before the men were able to escape." There was a growl from where Edward sat, next to Carlisle, and Jasper put a hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him.

"Fortunately," Carlisle continued, "we were able to.... deal.... with the perpetrators." Rosalie smirked at his choice of words, no doubt picturing the encounter in her mind.

"I have administered a variety of tests, and she seems to be getting along as well as to be expected. She has no internal damage, other than that to her spirit. She went through a terrible ordeal, and it will be difficult for her to recover emotionally without our help. I know that all of you," - he shot a look at Rose - "will be willing to help her get better."

I turned to look at Jasper, but caught Edward's eye instead. _Oh crap. _

Of course Edward would automatically tune into my mind. I immediately thought of my last few seconds in the woods with Jasper, how the wind ruffled through his thick blond hair, his beautiful scent of sandalwood and cinnamon swirling around me, the warmth of his skin on mine, his soft lips giving against mine....

Edward looked away abruptly, embarrassed. Jazz caught the backlash of his emotion, and gave me a confused look. I winked at him, and he smirked, the corners of his golden eyes tilting up slightly, wrinkling the silver scars on his face.

"Well, I believe we're done here," Carlisle ended, getting up from his seat, "although, I think it best we all remained downstairs and let Bella and Renée have their reunion." Everyone started to get up, Rosalie and Emmett heading outside for the garage, Esme to the kitchen to make a meal for Renée's arrival, and Jasper, after giving Edward a final pat on the back, came around the table to help me out of my chair. I gave a last glance at Edward, who was still sitting in his seat, gazing at his hands on top of the table, and sighed. This was going to be harder than it looked.

**A/N: kinda short? _yes._ More to come? _Yes_. Sooner than it took this time? _Totally._ Are you gonna review? _Yes._ Did I like the Twilight Movie? _I freaking loved it._ Am I serious? _Am I ever anything but? :)_**

**RedHeadedBelle**


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